For Your Peace of Mind
by The Death of Heaven
Summary: AU! Kaname loves Zero with all of his heart, despite Zero not even knowing that he existed. He would do anything to make sure that Zero was safe. Unfortunately for Zero, that includes Kaname kidnapping him. Zero, unaware of Kaname's affections, only focuses on escaping from him. ZXK. Yaoi. M for a reason!
1. Kyofuu

When I awoke, I saw nothing but complete darkness. Was it really this dark in my room? I thought to myself. Eh, must be that daylight savings thing again.

I moved to stretch out my muscles (Yagari had really done a number on me in training the previous day) when I noticed that there was a problem: I could not move my arms. I frowned. I tried to move my legs, and discovered with a rising tsunami of dread that they too, were immobile.

Okay…don't panic. It must just be Yagari testing me again. Or maybe it's Ichiru playing a prank on me. Deep down, I knew that neither of these things were the likely cause of my predicament, but it was nice to hope.

I started to shake. This was very, very, very, very bad.

Even in my hysteria, I tried to evaluate what was happening. There was something covering my eyes, most likely a strip of some kind of cloth. There was something binding my hands and legs together; I would guess a strip of cloth because of the clinking sound I heard when I tried to move again. I couldn't breath through my mouth, which meant there must be something covering it from the outside, and judging from the cottony taste on my tongue, there was some kind of cloth inside of it.

I wanted to hyperventilate, but hyperventilation was impossible through one's nose.

Something warm and smooth touched my left cheek, light as a petal from a flower. I became a statue.

"Shh…" A smooth voice whispered. "Calm down. You're safe. Nothing will happen to you here. No harm will come to you." Too smooth. A baritone so impossibly smooth, and so pleasing to the ear that I wanted to shudder. "Now. If I remove your gag, will you please not start screaming? It would echo horribly off of these walls…"

Remove the gag. Give me a chance to call for help. But aggravating the man might be detrimental to my survival. If I just reasoned with him, perhaps he'd let me go…

I nodded slowly, glad that I could still move my head.

"Good. I apologize from the bottom of my heart, but this might hurt just a little bit." And the duct tape was gone so quickly from the surface of my face that I didn't even have time to tense myself. Two quick fingers pried open my lips and removed the wad of cloth, now soaked with saliva, and discarded it so that it made a soft plop against the floor.

Judging from the sound, I decided that the floor must have been made of marble, tile, or hardwood.

"You must be brimming with questions. I will answer them to the best of my ability, Zero."

Why did you kidnap me? Where am I? Who are you? All of those were perfectly acceptable questions to ask in my precarious quagmire. But the only thing that would come out of my dry, trembling lips was:

"Is Ichiru safe?"

There was a pregnant moment of pause. I was shaking so badly now that I could hear my teeth knocking together. The chains attached to my hands and feet rattled thunderously in the silent room.

"Why do you ask about your brother?" the man wondered, silky voice filled with surprise.

"Just tell me if he's safe!" I snarled at him.

"He is absolutely fine. But now you must answer my question: Why did you ask about your brother?"

"Because he's my brother! He's my everything! If anything happened to him…I don't…I don't know what I'd do." My hysteria still hadn't worn off.

The man was silent again. I couldn't even hear his breath. Was he breathing? Was he one of those monsters that Yagari told me about after we were done training together? The ones that drink blood and only come out during the nighttime?

"You are very selfless, Zero." the man said. Admiration pervaded all throughout his tone. "To value your brother's safety above your own. It is very refreshing to hear something like that."

It was my turn to be the silent one. I wanted to limit contact with this man as much as I possibly could. But I knew that the only way to establish a connection with my kidnapper was to see his face, to see his expressions. I knew that it was the only way that I would be able to convince him to let me go.

"E-excuse me…" I began politely, "…could you please take off this blindfold. It's-it's irritating my eyes. A-and not being able to see is making me nervous." There. The trap was set. This man must obviously care about my comfort, seeing as I hadn't woken up upside down or something like that.

"Ah, wait just a moment." The main said in a lightly chastising tone. "I will only take off your blindfold if you do something for me in return."

Shit. He got me there. I didn't know what I could offer him in return; I had no money on me when I fell asleep the previous night. I wasn't even sure if I was still wearing the crystal cross that Ichiru had gotten me for our last birthday. I didn't have a bargaining chip anymore. He did care about my comfort, but he did so limitedly.

"Wh-what would you like from me in return?"

There was a sudden shift in the air. A small zephyr just brushed past my skin. I heard the distinct rustling of fabric. There was hot breath on my neck. Something slick, warm, and slightly rough licked a wet line up my jugular. My muscles tensed.

"Just a little taste." The words were whispered so quietly that I thought I might have misheard him. A taste? A taste of what? The full implication of the statement made me freeze.

Suddenly I knew what I was dealing with.

The man who kidnapped me was a vampire.

And he wanted to drink my blood.

Shit.


	2. Yokubou to ikari

Previously:

"_Just a little taste." The words were whispered so quietly that I thought I might have misheard him. A taste? A taste of what? The full implication of the statement made me freeze. _

_Suddenly I knew what I was dealing with. _

_The man who kidnapped me was a vampire. _

_And he wanted to drink my blood. _

_Shit._

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

For whatever reason I wanted to hear him admit it (I'd like to pass it off as human stupidity). I wanted to hear him say that he wanted my blood. I supposed I wanted to prove to myself that my instincts were right again.

"A t-taste of wh-what?" I was ashamed to hear that my words caught in my throat on the way out. Despite my brain working a mile a minute, I was deathly afraid. I was unsure of what would happen to me. I was unsure of why he stole me away from my home. And as everyone knows, not knowing breeds fear.

"Why, a taste of your perfect lips of course." Warm breath ghosted over my face. I jerked backwards with a gasp. I certainly wasn't expecting that.

Not a taste of blood? Then…was he not a vampire? He wanted…a kiss? From his captive? A kiss? What the hell?!

"W…why?" I asked, trembling again. Shit…I thought I'd stopped shaking a while ago…

"Hmm…another one of those questions that I can't answer properly…I suppose it's because I desire you so much that when I first laid eyes upon you, I knew that it was my destiny to have you." The man's hypnotic voice wormed its way into my ears and eventually into my brain. I had to hold back a sigh. It was just so pleasing to my eardrums.

When I finally managed to focus on the words that created those delicious sounds, I felt like someone had injected pure caffeine into my veins. When he 'first laid eyes upon' me? His 'destiny to have' me? What the fuck?

"What do you mean by 'first laid eyes upon' me? When did you first see me?" I demanded, my voice slightly weaker than I would like.

"Would you really like to know the answer to that question?" The man asked, tone suddenly hard and dark.

I shuddered. "I…I…no, never mind."

"That's what I thought. So, little hunter," the man began, and I wondered how he knew that little fact, "I would like to propose a deal."

I took a deep breath, "What kind of deal?"

"The kind that benefits both of us." Intriguing.

"The terms?" I hesitantly asked.

I could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke. "Much like your agreement to not scream if I removed your gag," there was a pause, I believe for emphasis, "I will remove your blindfold if you allow me to kiss you."

I took a deep breath and tried to think, but it was next to impossible with the small puffs of air that would brush past my face every time the man breathed in and out. If I let him kiss me, he could possibly drug me with something, and then it wouldn't matter whether or not he took the blindfold off.

But if I let him kiss me…then he would take the blindfold off…and I could…wait…what was my reason for wanting the blindfold off again? Shit. I couldn't remember.

"We have a deal." I blurted.

"Very well." The man said. I could tell that his face was very, very close to mine. There was a soft thumb parting my lips then, tracing the outline of the lower one. Then the thumb was gone and suddenly my entire mouth tingled.

The man's lips, searing hot and softer than anything I'd ever felt, were moving against mine slowly, setting my nerves on fire. I gasped into his mouth as his tongue brushed against mine. When did he wind his fingers into my hair? I couldn't remember.

"Mmmmmmm…" Who was it that just made that noise? It couldn't possibly be me, right? I couldn't tell.

Then, as quick as a flash of lightning, he parted from me, yanked off the blindfold in one swift motion, and was kissing me again. I felt myself kissing him back just as heatedly as he was kissing me.

It took a second for my eyes to adjust to the dim light in the room, but at least there was light. The source was a crystalline chandelier that the man was facing away from, so I couldn't see his face except a few shadows, but I could tell that he was very handsome. His eyes were closed as he pressed himself closer to me.

I didn't notice that I was out of breath until I was on the verge of falling unconscious. The man broke from me once again and rested his forehead against mine. I took a deep breath through my nose in an attempt to calm my erratic heart, and was immediately stunned again. The most ambrosial aroma met my senses and my eyes went wide.

This man smelled like mint and chocolate, along with something suspicious and almost…naughty and seductive.

"Wha…" I gasped out. "Ah…Wha-What was that just now? That tingly feeling?" I asked breathlessly, still straining in the darkness to see his face.

The man let out a little chuckle and I felt cheated that he wasn't experiencing the same high as I was, "That, Little Hunter, was you reacting to my affections towards you. Have you never felt anything like it before?"

The answer to that question was no. I'd never felt anything even remotely close to that, except for when I masturbated. I stayed silent

"Well, Zero, would you like to feel it again?" He whispered, shifting closer to me.

Yes! My mind screamed, Please, make me feel that glorious warm, tingly, amazing feeling once more!

"No." I managed to choke out. "No, I don't." Allowing him to know that he had power over me was a very bad idea.

"Oh, really?" he asked, bringing his face even closer to mine. "And why is that?"

I struggled to find an answer. He wasn't making it easy for me, either. His mouth hovered over mine as if he was a predator waiting for his prey to make a false move. I wondered when I'd become so desensitized to him being so close to me.

"I suppose it doesn't matter anyway," he began, his hand leaving my hair to slide down the side of my face. It left a burning trail from my temple to my jaw.

"Why?" I squeaked out. Something awful was going to come of this, I just knew it!

"Because I've made it my goal in life to make you happy." What? "So whatever you say, goes." He shifted himself away from me easily and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

The sudden absence of his warm body pressed against mine left me shivering. It was very cold in the room, something I'd not noticed before.

"Cold, Little Hunter?" The smirk was back.

"N-no." I declared weakly.

"Very well." He said. "Now, do you have any remaining questions, comments, or requests?"

Hell yeah I have questions, you ass! "What's your name?"

"My name is Kuran Kaname." Kaname bowed low at the waist.

The pureblood? What would he want with me, a barely-legal-vampire-hunter?

"Why did you kidnap me? How does it benefit you?" I demanded.

"Hmmm…how do I answer that…?" Kaname let out a deep sigh. "I kidnapped you because I couldn't bear to see you hurt."

"Explain."

"You see, when I first saw you, you were at that disgusting club that you've frequented since your eighteenth birthday. You were stunning, by the way. While your attention was held by your friends, a man slipped something into your drink.

"I told one of my associates to let you know of this and buy you a new one, while I was taking care of the culprit. Don't try to find his body; there's nothing left of him." Kaname added. "That night was when I first saw you and decided that I wanted you. I never want anything to happen to you."

The incident with the drink was several months before. I had long since forgotten about it and passed it off as a singular event that wouldn't happen again.

"Okay…" I began slowly. I didn't know what to say next. I looked at him and waited for him to continue.

"Last night, someone new tried to drug you, so I knew it was about time to take matters into my own hands. I asked one of my more attractive friends to invite you to the dance floor whilst I dealt with the man." Then I remembered everything.

Shiki, I thought. That guy was just a distraction? Oh, I definitely remembered him. But while I was dancing with him, I'd begun to feel strange. I'd let Shiki lead me to a table several feet from the dance floor, away from most of the noise and lights. He'd seemed concerned for my health and offered to take me home. At first, I'd refused, but then he insisted that I let him drive me home so I could get some rest.

Because I'm not very trusting of almost total strangers, I had asked him to drop me off a block or so from my and Ichiru's home. He drove away after giving me his phone number and a sincere request to call him if I 'ran into any trouble.'

I had then realized that Ichiru hadn't known that I was coming home and decided to give him a warning. I had just finished sending him a text to tell him that I'd be home soon when a cloth was clapped over my mouth and an arm wrapped around me to stifle my movements. The breath was slowly being squeezed out of my lungs by that arm, and I could feel my movement getting weaker. I finally gave in and took a breath, only to be met with the cloying odor of chloroform.

My vision blurred and my legs felt even weaker than they had on the dance floor with Shiki. They collapsed from under me but the arm gently caught me. I could hear someone shouting my name from far away, quickly getting closer. My entire body was numb. Before my brain decided to shut down, I got the sensation of motion, and there was one last call of my name from a very familiar-sounding voice.

Ichiru, I realized. He got my text and was coming out to meet me.

"Kaname?" I asked hesitantly, wondering if I'd gotten the pronunciation right. When I said his name, a shudder ran through Kaname's whole body.

"Hmm?"

"You're sure that Ichiru is okay?" God, please don't let his illness be acting up again…!

"As I said before, your precious brother is fine. I would never willingly lie to you, Zero." Kaname declared.

Lying and withholding information are two completely different things, after all, I thought sarcastically.

There was a long silence during which Kaname pulled a chair from somewhere in the room and sat down in front of me. The looked at me for a moment during which I could've sworn that his eyes flashed a dangerous, glowing red.

"Hey, can you make the lights a bit brighter in here?" I asked impulsively.

Kaname grinned, I could tell. He got up and fluidly moved to the wall, where I believe he turned on a light switch, and the room was thrown into stunning relief.

I was bound to an ornate but obviously very well-built chair. The room was of normal size for a bedroom (I came to that conclusion because there was a huge bed in the corner) but I was unable to notice much else.

Kaname was…unbelievably gorgeous. His hair was a dark brown, his skin a pale ivory, and his hips were full and pouty.

But his eyes…wow. A warm reddish-brown, framed by heavy lashes, they seemed to smolder.

I prided myself in being the most masculine gay man in the Hunter's Society, but I felt like melting when I looked at Kaname, and just be a happy little gay Hunter Puddle on the floor for the rest of my life.

I could feel my heart skip a beat. He was gorgeous, he smelled phenomenal, and he wanted me. What was the problem again?

Oh right. He kidnapped me. Well, other than that, he would be absolutely perfect for me. Or for Ichiru, I suppose. Kaname looked rather capable when it came to protection from danger (He proved it by killing two men who had TRIED to slip me something, and that says something) and being a pureblood he'd be wonderful to support whoever he was involved with. And Ichiru had exactly the same face as I did…

"Why not Ichiru?" I blurted. "Why me and why not Ichiru? He looks exactly the same as I do. Same DNA and everything."

Kaname just stared at me for a moment. Then he laughed. Unlike his small bouts of humor in our previous conversation, this was a throw-your-head-back and chortle kind of laugh. I marveled at the rich, echoing quality of it and felt the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

"You-ah haha haha-you think th-that I-I would go f-for Ichiru j-just because he-he looks like you? Ahahahahaha!" Kaname guffawed. When he finally settled down enough to get out a clear sentence, there were tears gathering at the corners of his eyes. "Ha…..ah….Okay. That was funny. How could you possibly fathom that I would want anyone other than you?"

"Well, for starters, I don't KNOW you!" I snapped. "Didn't you ever think of just coming up and introducing yourself and asking me on a date or something? What was going through your head?! And you don't know me! You have no idea what I like or what schools I went to or what my hobbies are or what I worry about! What gives you the right to kidnap me and suddenly declare that I'm yours?!" I jerked in the handcuffs that held me to the chair, "AND THESE _DAMN _HANDCUFFS ARE PISSING ME OFF!" That last part really wasn't a horrible issue; it was just getting on my nerves.

Kaname's eyes, which had been light and full of mirth, darkened to a dirty mud color and narrowed dangerously. His amazing lips twisted into a frown. "I am a pureblood vampire, I've lived for thousands of years and I'll live for thousands more. I've been alone since my parents were murdered and my sister was forced into a comatose state in the Kuran Family Crypt. And I've never felt this way about anyone, so…" Kaname had lost most of his aggression during his tirade, and ended up at a sad, broken whisper. He looked down at his shoes and didn't look up for a long while.

I didn't want to break the silence after the rant I'd caused through my own pent-up emotions. Wait…when did I become so rational? I was supposed to be upset and defensive and crying and hysterical and stuff. But then…why did I feel so…calm? Almost…ashamed of causing Kaname such grief.

Kaname ran a hand through his silky-looking hair and looked at me again. "I apologize for my horrible lapse in attitude…" He looked at me and his eyes were mischievous, "And I don't think you'll want to know what kind of deal I want you to make to get those cuffs off."

I felt my face get a little pink and Kaname laughed again.

I was starting to really like the sound of that laugh.


	3. Neru

**Previously:**

_Kaname ran a hand through his silky-looking hair and looked at me again. "I apologize for my horrible lapse in attitude…" He looked at me and his eyes were mischievous, "And I don't think you'll want to know what kind of deal I want you to make to get those cuffs off."_

_I felt my face get a little pink and Kaname laughed again._

_I was starting to really like the sound of that laugh._

**Chapter 3:**

The rich sound of his laugh faded into the air and suddenly I remembered another question that I'd had.

"Hey." I immediately got Kaname's attention. "How long have I been here?"

"You've been here for approximately fourteen hours." Kaname replied, suddenly finding his nails very interesting. "The chloroform kept you out for about thirteen."

We both lapsed into silence. Fourteen hours…wow. I knew it would be more than just a couple hours - judging from my sore neck and back muscles - but I never thought it would be that long.

Was Ichiru looking for me? What about Yagari? I was supposed to have training today, after all, and I didn't call in sick. Ichiru must be so worried…he _did _see me get kidnapped, of that I was sure. No doubt about it at all.

All I could do was hope that he found me soon, for both of our sakes. His health was too frail to withstand the kind of stress that he was probably going through, and I wanted to show him that I wasn't in any danger as soon as possible -

Wait. What? No, no I didn't want to show him I wasn't in danger! I wanted to get OUT of here! Something was happening to my thoughts….something really weird! There were some strange things going through my head, and I didn't like it!

Did he drug me with something again? Or use some kind of weird pureblood magic/mind control thing?

I stared at him intensely, trying to see if there was anything different about him that could give away what he had done to me to change my entire point of view without me realizing it, but to no avail.

I frowned. Kaname raised an eyebrow at me. "Yes?" He asked.

I opened my mouth to reply, but all of a sudden, my stomach growled. Of all the wrong times for something to happen…

"Hungry?" Kaname asked amusedly. "I suppose I could procure something for you to eat…that is, of course, if you let me kiss you again." He smiled wickedly, baring his pearly white teeth.

I bit my lip. "Hm…I don't know…" It seemed, from my first experience with kissing Kaname, that it would leave me feeling intoxicated for an interminable amount of time.

Kaname sighed. "Why make things difficult for yourself? Just agree and you'll have the finest food that my chefs can provide, and," he stood and moved close enough to whisper in my ear, "you'll feel that warm, tingly feeling again."

Well, when you put it like that… "Fine." I said.

Several long, breathless moments later, Kaname left me so he could go 'procure nourishment' from his personal chef, while I sat panting and nodding and tingling. His mouth was really something special.

I don't know how long it was before Kaname returned, but it wasn't a very long amount of time, and when he reentered the room there was another person following him who seemed to be pushing a rolling cart. With their entrance came the smell of food.

The man with the cart was tall (not as tall as Kaname) blonde, had bright green eyes, and was wearing a clean, white, suit-like uniform. I couldn't help but make the comparison between the blonde and Kaname; overall, the pureblood looked more striking and powerful.

Kaname turned to the man pushing the cart and said something quietly to him, which he replied to by smiling sweetly, bowing, and exiting the room, leaving the cart there. The door closed quietly and Kaname turned to me. His smoldering eyes met mine as he pulled the cart over to me. He uncovered the cart and I saw a wonderfully-prepared dinner.

Kaname explained to me that he wasn't going to take my cuffs off (my eyebrow twitched a little when he said that he was going to feed me). And promptly took up a knife and fork to cut through the steak that had been on the rolling cart.

When he brought the fork close to my mouth, I stilled and looked at it like it was going to bite me.

"Zero, I promise you that the food hasn't been drugged. I give you my word as a Pureblood of the Kuran family." Kaname vowed. "Now please, will you just eat?"

I sighed and opened my mouth. Those eyes of his were extremely persuasive when he wanted them to be.

Even as I was chewing the meat, I was looking around the room for any means of escape. The only exit was the door. There were no windows to be seen, and from where I was sitting I wasn't able to locate any objects that could possibly be used as weapons.

Little by little, Kaname fed me my meal until there was nothing left on the cart. He gently dabbed my lips with a napkin even though I was sure that there was nothing there, then recovered the tray and rolled it over to the door.

"Was it to your liking?" Kaname asked me as he sat back down in his chair in front of mine.

"Yes." I replied, trying to look anywhere but his eyes. Despite the fact that I was no longer terrified of him, and trusted him slightly after he kept true to his word that there was nothing off about the food, I didn't want to end up a puddle of goo on the floor just because I looked in his eyes. "So…you thinking about being nice and taking the cuffs off?" I punctuated my question with a little pull against the metal.

Kaname quirked an eyebrow. "I am not simply 'nice.' You know that there will be a price to be paid, and I don't think that you'll like it very much when you first hear what it is." Bastard. Thinks he can tell me what I will and won't like…

"Why don't you tell me and I'll make my own decision?" I asked through a stiff jaw.

"Very well." Kaname said.

With a wicked smirk on his face, he leaned forward and whispered his condition in my ear. I blushed and spluttered. Whoa. _That_?

Somewhere inside me, the stereotypical gay guy squealed and squeaked and jumped up and down happily and shrieked at me to accept his condition, not even caring that the end result was becoming one step closer to freedom. That part of me just wanted to take the offer for the hell of it. It figured that Kaname was hot, wanted me, and was an amazing kisser, so why not?

The rational part automatically yelled 'No' at me and told me that it was a horrible idea and I was a horrible person for even considering it. Who knows what kind of weird Pureblood magick that Kaname could place on me by doing…_that_?

"I-Uh…That is to say-I…" I stuttered, still tomato-red. Kaname backed off and gazed at me with an expression that I didn't recognize.

He suddenly smiled and said, "It's rather late, and I'm sure you're tired. I'll let you think about it _in your sleep_." He got up from his chair and pushed it against one of the walls.

The odd emphasis with those last words made me curious. Why have that sort of inflection on such insignificant parts of the sentence? When I suddenly felt fatigued and was unable to move, I realized that it was some sort of mind-control. Fuck…what if he does something horrible to me? What if he tortures me? Or rapes me? What would I do?!

And then Kaname was un-cuffing my hands and feet from the chair and carrying me over to the huge bed in the corner of the room. I was gently laid down on a fluffy comforter. I couldn't find the strength to get up or move any of my muscles.

Kaname's long, thin fingers slowly undid the buttons of my shirt and slipped it off of my shoulders. His hands purposefully brushed against the skin of my chest as he trailed them down to the hem of my pants. He slipped the button out of its hole and pulled the zipper down with all the speed of a molasses-covered snail.

Given the time that he'd taken to undress me, Kaname wasted no time at all in redressing me. I was in a silk sleeping shirt and pants faster than I could take a breath. Then his lips were on my forehead and he was whispering "good night" to me. I was smoothly slid under cool sheets and I was just barely able to keep my eyes open as Kaname flicked off the light.

As soon as he left, I fell into a very deep and pleasant sleep.


	4. Miryoku-tekina akuma

_Previously: _

_Given the time that he'd taken to undress me, Kaname wasted no time at all in redressing me. I was in a silk sleeping shirt and pants faster than I could take a breath. Then his lips were on my forehead and he was whispering "good night" to me. I was smoothly slid under cool sheets and I was just barely able to keep my eyes open as Kaname flicked off the light._

_As soon as he left, I fell into a very deep and pleasant sleep._

**Chapter 4: **

I gasped and shuddered as a burning hot mouth trailed down my heaving chest, leaving wet trails that became chilled spots on my heated flesh. Dark brown hair brushed against my skin as the mouth trailed lower and lower. Then suddenly my member was engulfed in a warm, wet cavern.

"K-Kaname!" I choked out, lacing my fingers through the brunette's silky locks. I could feel the tension coiling in my stomach. "…Ah…p-please, Kaname…I…I need t-to…"

"Ah, ah, a-ahhh…." Kaname scolded, taking his mouth off of me just as I was about to fall over the cliff into pure ecstasy. I whined in protest, but he just smirked up at me with his gorgeous eyes and said something that I couldn't hear.

And then…I woke up.

When I first opened my eyes, I looked around and thought to myself "Fuck. Was that really a dream?" And then I looked down and groaned when I saw the noticeable tent formed by the covers on the bed. "Shit…now I have to deal with this!"

I was about to get up when the events of the previous day hit me. Oh right…I was kidnapped. By a pureblood vampire. By Kaname. The arrogant, holier-than-thou, pureblood vampire named Kaname.

A cursory glance around showed that I was in the same room that I had been in when I had come to the day before. I was still in the bed, where Kaname had put me, and I was still in the pair of silk pajamas that he had dressed me in. And…there was nothing at all that kept me in the bed. My eyes widened.

Slowly, I uncovered myself, planted my feet firmly on the floor, and stood. The room was staying in the same place. That was good. I stalked over to the door and tried turning the handle. Crap. It was locked, of course.

I sighed and shrugged. Force, then. I took a deep breath and ten sprang forward at the door, hitting it solidly in the middle with my foot and recoiling when the door didn't budge an inch. I let out a curse and grabbed my foot. The door must have been made out of nothing short of titanium; I was pretty sure I heard a bone in my middle toe crack.

I hadn't expected anything different, but I had allowed myself to hope for a little while. Hope that maybe I could get out of this room or building or compound or whatever it was, and get back home to Ichiru. Hope that maybe I could go and train with Yagari again, or maybe go on a few missions to kill some Level E's.

I padded back over to the bed and sat down to examine my foot. Hmm…nothing broken, but there was going to be a huge bruise and I was pretty sure that it would be sore for at least a few days.

I heard the click of a bolt being slid back and looked up to see the door slowly opening. Kaname's dark head poked in and his eyes found me before stepping into the room fully. He smirked when he noticed the erection that still sat proudly in between my legs.

"Have a good dream?" Kaname asked. I flushed and grabbed the pillow from the head of the bed and covered my lap with it. "There's nothing to be ashamed of, _Ze-ro_." The way he split my name up made me shiver. "You're a _young_, _healthy_, _fully-grown_ man. A thing like an…" Kaname strode closer to me until I could sense his vampiric blood; it made me twitch and odd sensations trail down my spine, "_erotic_ dream is nothing to be embarrassed about."

The next thing I did was cough into my hand and scoot as far away from Kaname as I could. "Ahem…could I perhaps have a chance to wash up somewhere? Please?" I asked.

"Sure." Kaname said. "Go out through that door," he pointed at the stupid metal door, "into the hallway, and into the room right across the hall. And Zero," Kaname began, "if you decide you need any…help…taking care of your problem, keep in mind that I would be _more than glad_ to help you."

My blush returned. I cleared my throat, "So the door is unlocked now?"

"Yes. So I wouldn't recommend trying to break it down again." Kaname said slowly.

_Eh?_ I blinked for a moment, confused, and then decided to shrug it off as a pureblood thing.

I managed to get away from the bed with minimal contact with Kaname, and started to walk towards the door, when a thought struck me.

"Hey, Kaname, if the door is locked, and I couldn't break it down even with my hunter strength, why was I bound to a chair by handcuffs yesterday?" I asked as I had my hand on the doorknob.

Kaname grinned a brilliant grin at me. "Hasn't anyone ever told you, Zero? Everything is more fun with handcuffs."

I didn't dignify that with a response.

I discovered that there were in fact two doors to keep me in my prison. Right across the hall was the bathroom, yes, but walking down the hallway was impossible. On one side was a solid wall and on the other was a door much like the one leading back into the bedroom.

The bathroom itself was decent, though. It was more than decent, really. The marble, in-ground bathtub dominated the room, but through another door I found a toilet and a sink. The walls were made out of mirrors, and the ceiling was covered with painted roses of red, black, and white. I reached over to turn a knob on the wall, and warm water began gushing out of the shining silver spigot.

After filling the huge bathtub and stripping out of the silk pajamas, I slipped into the water and sighed. My stiff muscles relaxed as I leaned against the marble edge.

I'm not sure how long I sat in the water, but it was long enough, as usual, to have a brilliant idea about the meaning of life and then forget what it was. [1] I did manage to get clean, and my erection did completely go away.

I refused to 'take care of it' like Kaname had mentioned earlier, so I used all of my might to will it away (to help, I also thought of the Hunter's Society President naked…)

When I finally did step out of the tub and wrap a huge fluffy towel around my waist, the water had gone cold and my skin was shriveled. A scowl crossed my face when I remembered that Kaname hadn't sent me with any clothes. Shit. I would have to go back into the room wearing nothing but a towel and find something else to put on. And knowing Kaname, he would still be there, and would be watching me change the entire time.

With a grumble, I crossed the hall and went back into the bedroom, where a certain pureblood was sitting on the bed, waiting for me. With a smirk, his eyes trailed up and down my body from my head to my toes, and lingering on everything in between. His gaze reminded me of a panther that I'd seen when Ichiru and I had gone to the zoo once.

The poor big cat hadn't been fed on time, so it was a little twitchy when we had walked by. I'd paused to admire its glossy black coat, and Ichiru went up to the bars of the cage to get a closer look. I'd warned against it, but Ichiru decided that he would be fine. The panther, seeing someone approach, looked up from where he was licking his paws, and froze when Ichiru came closer.

Then, in hunger, the panther slashed at the bars of the cage. Startled, Ichiru jumped backwards and landed on his behind. I'd rushed over to him and helped him up, of course, but I'd also laughed and said that he'd entered the big cat's space, so he was bound to get some kind of reaction.

I realized that this was the same kind of situation. I had just willingly walked into a room with a predator, into its space. That very predator was licking his lips and staring at me with the same ravenous eyes that the panther had stared at Ichiru with. I gulped, and wondered what kind of reaction I would get from this predator.

The door swung shut behind me and closed with a resounding thud, and I heard the bolt being slid into place.

With speed that my eyes couldn't follow, Kaname got up from the bed and was suddenly behind me, arms wrapped across my body like steel bands.

"Hmmm…" he hummed against my neck. "Now, you're tempting the demon, Zero…"


	5. Yuuzai

_Previously:_

_The door swung shut behind me and closed with a resounding thud, and I heard the bolt being slid into place._

_With speed that my eyes couldn't follow, Kaname got up from the bed and was suddenly behind me, arms wrapped across my body like steel bands._

_"Hmmm…" he hummed against my neck. "Now, you're tempting the demon, Zero…"_

**Chapter 5:**

"K-Kaname, you really shouldn't do this…" I stuttered as the vampire slid his hands down my chest, to the top hem of the towel.

"Do what?" he murmured in my ear. "After all, I'm just…expressing interest." His tongue licked a long line from my collarbone to my ear.

My breath caught. At this rate…

"I see you managed to take care of your problem all by yourself." Kaname observed, his hand going past the forbidden edge of the towel, fingers dipping into the V formed by my hips, and then traveling down even farther.

"D-don't t-touch there…!" I gasped as his warm hand encircled a certain part of my anatomy and moved down and all the way back up.

I'm not sure how, but I found myself bent over the edge of the bed with Kaname's chest and pelvis pressed against my back. I could feel the hard lump poking my ass and I shuddered.

"Wha-What are you doing?" I asked while Kaname started stroking faster. My mind was growing fuzzier and fuzzier, and I tried my best to keep my thoughts on track.

The towel disappeared altogether, seeing as how it was only getting in Kaname's way. There was suddenly way too much contact for my taste. One hand was still pumping my erection and the other slid up and down my chest, playing with the lines of my abs, trailing back up and tweaking my nipples.

The fingers playing with my chest disappeared, but all of a sudden there was a slick finger probing the very forbidden place where no one had ever touched before. I froze.

"K-Kaname, please, s-stop this now!" I cried. All of my nerves were on fire. Heat was racing to my groin.

"Shh…" Kaname hushed me. "Just let go for once, would you?"

Let go? Let him violate me? I think not! I squirmed in Kaname's hold, wincing when his grip on my penis tightened. I wondered if I was in the same position that I would've been in if Kaname hadn't managed to stop me from drinking whatever was in those drinks.

And if Kaname didn't stop when I asked him to, then he was no different than… I had an idea.

"Kaname," I moaned, "d-doing this…makes you just as bad as those men!"

The pureblood froze, and there was a long pause before his weight vanished from where he had been bending over me. I heard muted footsteps walking away from my prone form and the door opening and closing.

Slowly, I uncurled myself and picked up the towel from the floor. With shaking hands I wrapped it around my waist again and then practically collapsed onto the bed. A smirk stretched across my face.

I'd finally damaged the insufferable pureblood's pride.

After the post-shower incident, I didn't see Kaname for a long, long while. I'd say about a month. The man with the blonde hair and green eyes – whose name I'd learned was Hanabusa Aido – told me when I'd asked that 'Lord Kaname is on a business trip and will not be back for an interminable amount of time, Zero-sama.'

Two days after Kaname's abrupt departure, I decided that I was going insane by staring at the wall all day long, and politely asked my blonde guard to bring me something to do during the day when I wasn't sleeping.

Aido brought me food and reading materials as often as I wanted, and even lead me down the hallway out of my room and past the outer door of my prison to another room where I was allowed to work out whenever I wanted. I discovered that I'd grown soft by just sitting in my room and doing nothing but read.

I was really smug about damaging Kaname's pride at first. I really was. I told myself that it was what the pureblood had deserved for all the ways he'd harassed me and molested me without my explicit permission. And then, of course, I remembered how good it had felt to know that he genuinely wanted, cared for, and wanted to protect me.

Therefore, guilt started to kick in.

I felt so bad about the way I'd acted. I ate less, worked out less, and found myself reading less. Many of my nights (or days, I suppose; if I was around vampires then the times that I slept would be the daytime, right?) were spent awake. I spent too much time with my thoughts, and noticed that the same ones kept festering in my brain as I sat on my bed and did nothing.

Kaname wanted to protect me. Kaname wanted me to be happy. Kaname was just expression his interest in me, and it was horrible of me to not only reject him, but also hurting his feelings.

To be honest, I really, desperately, sincerely wanted to see Kaname and apologize for saying something so atrocious. In addition, whenever I managed to sleep for a few hours, the only thing I could dream about was the pureblood.

His face, his eyes, usually both dampened by tears. His silky smooth voice, asking me why I would say that. Saying that it was such a low move for someone like me; someone so sweet and wonderful would never hurt another person like that.

I couldn't find an escape. Even in my dreams, I couldn't get away from my immense compunction.

Eventually, I began to hate myself. Looking back on it now, I see how stupid I was. I decided that if I ever did see Kaname again, I would apologize and beg for forgiveness. If the pureblood didn't grant me forgiveness, I would go into the bathroom and drown myself.

Yeah, I was even willing to kill myself for him. Honestly, the gnawing regret was torturous enough for me to even slit my wrists or drink bleach instead. Drowning just seemed less painful.

One day, when Aido brought me breakfast like any other day, he casually mentioned after I began eating that 'Lord Kaname has returned from his business trip and wishes to see you, if you'll permit him a few moments of your time.'

As expected, I spit out the egg that I'd been nibbling on. "Yes, o-of course. Please, when can I see him?"

Aido smiled. "As soon as you're presentable, I'd say."

Needless to say, I rushed to the bathroom and washed up as quickly but thoroughly as I possibly could, and dressed in a violet silk button-down and a pair of black slacks. I combed through my still-damp hair speedily and looked at Aido expectantly, as if to say 'Well? Where is he?'

The noble stared at me curiously for a moment and then sighed. "Alright. I'll take you to him. I've already notified him that you want to see him."

I vaguely remember walking down the hallway with Aido's arm linked through mine, keeping me from dashing away, something which I was liable to do, despite how weak my legs had gotten from not properly utilizing the workout room.

At last, Aido stopped in front of one of the doors towards the opposite end of the hallway. I didn't even notice at the time that if I had turned to the right slightly, the stairs that would lead up to the main floor of the Kuran Palace would be right in front of me, and with a few more steps once at the top of the stairs, sweet freedom would be mine.

However, I didn't have the time to notice such things; the object of the last month, give or take a few days, was just a door and a few paces away from me, in all of his sexy pureblood-y glory.

Aido knocked three times on the door. I heard a muffled 'come in' and my heart started pounding. Aido turned to me and raised an eyebrow. Then he turned the knob on the door and pushed it open.

The lights in the room were low, but not so much that I couldn't see. The only lights in the room were from a high chandelier and two tall candles that burned slowly on a red cloth covered table that was set for two. With small, measured strides, I stepped into the room.

Kaname waited for me by the table, looking just as wonderful as he always had. My breath seemed to leave me as I continued to walk forward as if in a dream. Finally, I got to see his strong jawline and gorgeous burgundy eyes. I came to a slow stop about six inches away from the dark-haired Adonis.

Not even looking away from me, Kaname said, "Thank you Aido. You may leave us now."

In my periphery, I saw Aido bow once before turning and leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

Soft, warm fingers were under my chin, tilting my face up slightly so that my eyes met Kaname's. "Oh, Zero. When was the last time you slept well? Or ate enough?"

"I don't know." I replied automatically. "Two days after you left, maybe? K-Kaname, I…I'm so, so sorry…I didn't mean it, and I—"

Kaname laughed bitterly. "Of course you meant it, Zero. If I were in your position at the time, I would've meant it, too. I kidnapped you, verbally and physically harassed you, and then I expected you to just let me make love to you as if there was nothing wrong.

"So I've decided to take your suggestion. You're free to leave." Kaname finished.

I think my jaw hit the floor. Shock came first, and then there was a deep, burning anger. Letting me go? Letting me GO? _Are you fucking kidding me?_

I repeated my thoughts to Kaname, who cringed away from me in shock. "No, fuck no! I am not leaving this compound-house-palace-basement _thing_," I paused to take a breath, "until you _apologize_ from the bottom of your heart, and agree to go on a _fucking_ date with me like we've never met each other before!"

I wasn't entirely sure how, but I'd mustered the anger and courage to ask Kaname, my kidnapper, out.

As I stood there, breathing hard and waiting for Kaname's response, I thought to myself 'this must be what they call Stockholm Syndrome.'

And then I decided that I didn't really care.


	6. Ai

_Previously: _

_I think my jaw hit the floor. Letting me go? Letting me GO? Are you fucking kidding me?_

_I repeated my thoughts to Kaname, who cringed away from me in shock. "No, fuck no! I am not leaving this compound-house-palace-basement thing," I paused to take a breath, "until you apologize from the bottom of your heart, and agree to go on a fucking date with me like we've never met each other before!" _

_I wasn't entirely sure how, but I'd mustered the anger and courage to ask Kaname out. _

_I think this is what science calls Stockholm syndrome. _

_I found that I didn't really care. _

**PLEASE NOTE: This will most likely be one of the two author's notes that I'm going to write for this thing, so pay fucking attention, bitches, there will be a test! **

**This chapter, if you can't pick up on it by yourself, takes place four months after the last chapter. Which means it has been half a year since Zero was kidnapped. Thank you if you were keeping track all by yourself!**

**In addition, this chapter is probably going to end up very short, but I don't know because I write these things in advance most of the time under my other penname, and I also often do not revise them before I post the chapter. So, if it ends up really long, then it's just a bonus for you. **

**~DH**

**Chapter: 6**

Ichiru Kiryuu's hair was just short of falling out. For exactly six months after his brother, Zero, had been kidnapped, he'd been searching for the aforementioned man every spare moment that he'd had. Those moments were when he wasn't eating, going to his college courses, or doing homework.

"Maybe I should stop going to school. Maybe we'd be able to find Zero faster." Ichiru said one day when he was talking to Toga Yagari – Zero's closest friend and mentor ever since he was little. The two of them sat in Yagari's office in the Hunter's Society HQ looking at the recent Level E activity in the downtown area of Tokyo.

"No!" Yagari had exclaimed, staring at Ichiru as if he'd grown a second head. "The whole reason Zero went on missions and even decided to be a part of the Hunter's Society in the first place was so you could go to the college courses you wanted to! So don't ever say anything like that! It disgraces Zero's name!"

Ichiru had smiled wearily and went back to staring at the map, as if a big red arrow would appear over wherever Zero was.

Yagari, of course, noticed that Ichiru's condition was rapidly deteriorating. The man was getting paler, his eyes were duller, and his face had lost its softness and now looked a lot more like Zero's. Ichiru had never had to grow up and lose the baby-like shape to his face because Zero had never let him confront the full harshness of the world.

Ichiru had always been a lot more baby-like than Zero – it only made sense, given that Ichiru was the younger twin and was also weaker and more likely to become ill than Zero – and therefore Zero was always there to protect and defend his younger brother; it was just his nature to do so, after all.

But now Ichiru was suffering because of Zero's disappearance. Yagari, though he was a tough, cigarette-smoking, eye-patch-wearing vampire hunter, felt his heart break a little bit every time Ichiru came to the Hunter's Society HQ, hopeful for news of his brother only to be disappointed.

What a rotten older brother, Yagari thought to himself as a stray tear dripped down Ichiru's face, and was wiped away hastily by the silverette, to make Ichiru cry like this.

"Oi! Yagari!" A blonde man called as he walked into the room. "We got a lead on Kiryuu!"

Ichiru and Yagari looked at each other, and immediately sprung to their feet to follow the blonde man who beckoned them out of the room.

"Talk to me, Yagami," Yagari demanded as the trio walked down the hallway, "where do you think he is?"

Itachiin Yagami shoved the folder of papers he'd been carrying at the dark-haired hunter. "A few of the other hunters were hangin' around the bar where Kiryuu was before he was lifted, and they heard these guys talking about 'im. They asked 'em what they were talkin' 'bout, and they said that their friend had tried ta slip 'im somethin', but then a blonde guy an' a brunette guy stopped 'im from drinkin' it.

They said tha' their buddy, the one who tried ta drug Kiryuu, was found the next day in the alley next ta the bar, dead. The hunters looked in ta it and were allowed ta look at the body. They noticed tha' the dude was killed in the same way tha' Kuran Kaname killed anotha' dude a couple months before, at tha' same bar, and the guys from the bar said tha' the brunette guy was paler than death an' had red-brown eyes." Yagami finished.

Yagari stopped walking, and Ichiru paused as well. "You think that Kuran Kaname – the purest pureblood that ever lived - kidnapped Zero?"

Yagami ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Look. We don' assume anythin' 'bout tha' pureblood. Bu' he migh' know somethin' 'bout Zero. So we're gonna go ta his palace, knock on the door real nice-like, an' ask 'im if he's seen Zero, cuz that's the only thing we can do now."

Toga cringed. Yagami was right. There was nothing to do but ask and see if there was anyone that had possibly seen the young hunter.

"Alright," Toga said as he was looking at Ichiru, who was tearing up slightly again, "get a team ready and we'll go ask this Kuran fellow about our favorite little hunter."

The three of them then proceeded to rush down the hallway like a multicolored tornado, hell-bent on finding their companion.

**Around the same time, in the Kuran Palace:**

It had been four months since I had demanded that Kaname go out on a date with me, and since then we'd had almost thirty separate dinners and a few walks around the outside of the property. I'd moved to a different room, so instead of my previous prison-like arrangement in the basement level, I was in a room next to Kaname's in the top floor of the palace, and this one had an en suite bathroom.

The first, second, third, and fourth dates between Kaname and myself had been wonderful, and had gone without incident. Kaname hadn't dared even to touch my hand in a friendly manner until the fifth time we'd had dinner together. He was a complete gentleman until I could take it no longer and viciously kissed him during the tenth date.

Even though Kaname was resigned to going slow, he allowed me to do whatever I wanted and wouldn't go any farther with me until I was ready to. While it was wonderful of him to be so considerate of my previous feelings of revulsion towards him, the fact that we were advancing so slowly in our relationship lead to many problems that I ended up taking care of by myself in the bathroom.

However, the vampire and I had recently taken a huge step in our relationship.

The previous night, I'd told Kaname that I loved him. This statement from me had obviously affected the vampire in a powerful way, because he had attacked me with little butterfly kisses all over my face and neck.

And then Kaname, being the cheesy and sentimental airhead (I say this with absolute affection for my boyfriend) that he was, pressed his forehead against mine so that I could feel his breath wash over my face and whispered, "That's all I've wanted to hear since I first saw you."

And I, being the emotional bastard that I was at that particular moment, had let a few happy tears escape from my eyes and engaged my vampire in a heated make-out session, which was something that both of us enjoyed immensely.

The next day, I was in the bathroom washing up after a satisfying sleep when I heard a commotion outside of my room. Immediately curious, I rinsed my body off and wrapped a robe around my naked form and jogged back to the main room. I pressed my ear against the door, but even with my hunter hearing I couldn't decipher all of what they were saying. I was able to catch a few words, though.

"-here asking…Zero-sama…should we tell them?...no…brought a team…looks just like…wouldn't be able to…without suspicions…Hunter Society…" The voice of whoever was speaking was unfamiliar to me, but then I heard Kaname speak.

"I'm going to tell Zero about this and ask him what he wants to do about it. I'm not going to keep anything from him and risk his trust." Kaname declared. I heard soft footsteps and ran over to my bed so as to look like I hadn't been eavesdropping.

I managed to arrange myself so that I looked like I had been sitting there for a few minutes.

The knob turned slowly and Kaname poked his head in and knocked on the ajar door before completely stepping in. His eyes found me sitting on the bed with my legs crossed, wearing nothing but a robe and reading a magazine.

"Hey," Kaname said brightly as he closed the door gently behind him. When he saw the water dripping off me and onto the floor and bedclothes, he smirked his sauciest smirk. "Listening at the door?"

I sighed. "You caught me." Shit. I'd forgotten about me being so damp.

"You and your natural curiosity," Kaname murmured, stalking closer to me, "is either very attractive or very annoying at any given point during the day." He sat down beside me and wrapped his arms around me.

"Thanks…I think…" Kaname's silky lips pressed against my cheek and he pulled me up into his lap. "So what was with all the commotion?"

"We have someone very special at the front doors of the palace, asking about you, Zero." Kaname purred, sliding his hand up my thigh. "And he's getting rather impatient. Well, I guess he actually is asking for me, but he wants to talk with me about you."

"And who is this special someone?" I asked, suddenly wary. If there was someone here asking Kaname about me, then there was a chance that they were here to do something to break the two of us up…or worse, take me away…

"Um…" Uh oh. Kaname was hesitating. If he was hesitating, then it must be something really big. "Not really a 'someone' in particular, ummm…there are five men here, and four of them are from the Hunter's Society. Toga Yagari, Itachiin Yagami, Kaien Cross, and Yuya Matsushida are the hunters, and the other…is…is…" Kaname paused and took a deep breath.

"Kaname, you know that you can just say it, right? Nothing you will ever say from this point on will change my opinion of you or change how I feel about you." I said soothingly. I wondered vaguely when the hell I became the sentimental bastard in our relationship, but quickly shoved that thought to the back. I suppose love makes you do and say crazy things.

Kaname took another deep breath in and then out. "Theotherisyourbrother."

"My sweet boyfriend," I began easily, "I understand that whoever the last person is makes you really, really nervous, but you have to understand that I can't fucking understand you when you talk that fast." I smiled a little, but it soon faded when Kaname gave a grimace in return.

"The other one…is your brother Ichiru."

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe. Ichiru was here? Yagari and Yagami and Kaien; they didn't matter as much anymore. Ichiru. Had he really been searching for me? It had been six months; why hadn't he just given up? And his poor immune system…if he was too stressed then he would bee getting sick all the time and…

"-ero? Zero? Hey, you okay?" I shook myself out of my thoughts.

"Yeah…I'm fine." I replied shakily. "I just…I don't know what to say."

"Well, you kind of have to make a choice now. Do you want to talk to Ichiru yourself, or do you want me to go down to the main floor and deny any involvement with you or your disappearance so that he'll never bother us again?"

The million-dollar question, folks! Will he stay in this perfect life with the beautiful pureblood vampire? Or go back with to his sad life of hanging out in bars where perverted men try to slip him a roofie every month and hunting vampires on the side?

Yeah. That was, in a nutshell, the decision that I was faced with. Fucking fantastic, ne?


	7. Shikata ga nai

_Previously:_

_"Yeah…I'm fine." I replied shakily. "I just…I don't know what to say."_

_"Well, you kind of have to make a choice now. Do you want to talk to Ichiru yourself, or do you want me to go down to the main floor and deny any involvement with you or your disappearance so that he'll never bother us again?"_

_The million-dollar question, folks! Will he stay in this perfect life with the beautiful pureblood vampire? Or go back with to his sad life of hanging out in bars where perverted men try to slip him a roofie every month and hunting vampires on the side?_

_Yeah. That was, in a nutshell, the decision that I was faced with. Fucking fantastic, ne?_

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

I took a deep breath and bit my lower lip. What should I do?

I found myself not supporting any of my own weight as I sat frozen in Kaname's embrace. He held on a little tighter and I was glad for the reassurance. He was letting me know that he was there, that he would always be there, and that I had nothing to fear. With trembling fingers I gripped the arms that encircled me.

"Zero," Kaname said, "we can just sit here for the rest of the day if you want. I can get Aido to shoo them away. It would be no skin off my nose at all, but I know how much you care for Ichiru."

"Kaname…what should I do?" I asked him the burning question and buried my face in his strong chest. The pureblood in response sat his chin on the top of my head and huffed.

"This isn't like you," he began, "normally you'd be pacing around the room and cussing under your breath." He laughed softly, but soon sobered. "To be so quiet…you must be either very deep in thought, or very, very scared." The latter, definitely. "As for what you should do…I can't decide that for you, Zero. Please, just…know that no matter what you do, I'm going to love you forever."

My eyes watered just a little bit. The ridiculousness of the situation made me chuckle a little bit. Here I was, sitting on top of my captor, with people that would 'rescue' me waiting politely (or impolitely, depending on how Yagari and Yagami's attitudes were…) just a few floors away.

And the thing was…I didn't want to leave. I wanted to see Ichiru with my own eyes, to ascertain how he was doing and tell him to stop worrying about me, but I didn't want to _leave_. I had no reason to leave, not anymore. However, knowing Ichiru, he would do anything he could to drag me back to our apartment kicking and screaming if he had to.

"I…I want to see my brother." I mumbled, stiffening considerably when Kaname's arms flexed around my torso.

"Alright. I, personally, think you should get dressed first. No one but me should be allowed to see you in such a state of undress." Kaname said. I noticed that his voice was extremely dark. There was none of his usual mirth, smugness, or arrogance. He was definitely worrying.

So was I.

* * *

After dressing properly, which took longer than usual because SOMEONE was continually staring hungrily at me and sometimes reaching out to draw little patterns on my chest while I was putting on my undergarments, Kaname and I began to walk down the stars to the first floor, where my brother was waiting for me.

The walk down was a lot shorter than I remembered. It seemed only to be a minute before I was in front of the parlor door with Kaname standing right behind me. My hand shook as I reached out and turned the doorknob.

As soon as I pushed it open, I heard a very familiar voice yell, "We ain't got all day, can ya just tell us if ya know where Zero is?"

Without even thinking about it, I retorted, "Still so damn impatient, ain't ya, Yagami?"

Silence fell upon the room. Then a small sob shattered it. My eyes fell upon my brother, who sat demurely on a couch against the wall. He was definitely thinner. His cheeks were hollowed; there were bags under his eyes. He honestly looked like I did when I didn't see Kaname for a month. His light violet eyes, an exact copy of mine, filled with tears that poured down his cheeks. His mouth formed shapes, but no sound came.

"Oh…Ichiru…what the _hell_ happened to you?!" I whimpered. My little brother, who I'd protected with my life since the day I was born, was allowed to slip into such a state. And it was my fault. I fell to my knees.

"Z-zero…" Ichiru squeaked. He stood slowly and walked over to me, where he promptly collapsed onto me and sobbed like a baby. I put my arms around his thin shoulders and held him while he cried. I could feel his heaving sobs against my chest, and his tears staining my shirt.

"I – was – so – scared!" Ichiru cried, punctuating every word with a little hiccup. "W-when th-they t-took y-you f-from m-me!"

Over my brother's cries, I could hear Yagari, Yagami, and Matsushida having an extremely loud conversation with Kaname. Eh…actually, they were pretty much screaming at him.

"The fuck is going on here?" That was Matsushida…

"You the fucktard who took Zero?" There was Yagami…

"I'll bring this to the President, then you'll be sorry, you fucking no-good, blood-sucking leech!" And Yagari finally decided to chime in.

My arms shook a little bit as I heard Kaname being insulted, but I pushed my anger down to the very deepest reaches of my mind and tightened my hold on Ichiru. His sobs had finally quieted slightly, but he still trembled and buried his face in my hair.

Slowly, still hugging him, I stood the two of us up and walked cautiously over to the couch, Ichiru never even leaving my arms.

"Shh-h…it's okay." I hushed him. I kissed the top of his head and rubbed his back gently. "Everything's okay now."

I looked over at Kaname, who wasn't paying any attention to the hunters and instead was staring at Ichiru and myself with a tiny bitter smile.

"Hey! Leech! You listenin'? Yagami sneered, taking out his pistol.

"Tell us why we shouldn't just kill you now for abducting a member of the Hunter's Society?" Matsushida asked, pulling his sword from its sheath.

"We wouldn't be in the wrong here, Kuran." Yagari stated, removing his shotgun from his back. "You have violated the terms of the agreement between the Hunter's Society and…your kind. If we killed you now there wouldn't be any issue with our superiors."

Then there were two guns and a sword pointed at Kaname and my heart dropped into my stomach. I hastily but gently disengaged myself from Ichiru and was across the room as fast as I could manage it. I stood in front of Kaname, between him and my Hunter friends and their weapons.

"Stop this! Please, stop this! Don't hurt Kaname!" I commanded, spreading my arms wide out to my sides.

"What the fuck, Zero? I had a clear shot! He wasn't even movin' or nothin'!" Yagami snarled at me indignantly.

"If you so much as think of pointing your weapon in his direction again, I'll tear your motherfucking balls off and feed them to you!" I growled back, taking a tiny step forward, daring him to make a move.

* * *

Ichiru continued to stare at Zero. He hadn't seen him in so long, and now, when he finally did find him after him being kidnapped, there seemed to be something extremely wrong with him.

"H-hey," I stuttered, "Yagari…p-put down your gun. I think Zero's a bit confused."

"Confused?" Yuya asked, taking his gaze off of Kaname. "What do you mean?"

"We have no idea what's happened to Zero since he's been kidnapped; he probably doesn't know what's happening." Ichiru reasoned, glancing warily at Zero's half-crazed eyes as he protected his captor. "He could've been tortured for all we know."

Ichiru shuddered at the idea that his brother, so strong and tough, might have been shattered by torture. He imagined a dark room with ominous screams escaping from it. But who would be horrid enough, disgusting enough, to even possibly do something like that…?

Then Ichiru's eyes found Kaname Kuran, who was standing behind Zero's exposed form.

_Him._

Kaname Kuran, the only remaining Kuran, excluding his sister who was currently incapacitated, was staring at Zero's back with scared but loving eyes. The vampire was obsessed with Zero. He thought he loved Zero. That must have been why he abducted him…

"Zero," Ichiru called as he slowly stood from the couch and began to walk towards his brother, "there's something wrong with your mind, I think. You need to relax and come with me, and we'll get you some help."

"No!" Zero frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't think you understand! I want to stay here, and quite honestly, I want you all to leave me in peace with my boyfriend!"

Yagari's mouth twisted into a snarl. The hunter raised his gun again. "Zero, I think you've acquired a pretty severe case of Stockholm syndrome. We do need to have you see someone for some help. Please, will you step away from the leech and we can get you out of here-"

"His name is Kaname, and I love him with all of my heart. And I'm warning you one last time before I decide to get violent – leave this place, and don't come back again!" Zero exclaimed, his hands dropping to his sides and balling up into fists.

"Please would you just listen to reason, Onii-san*?" Ichiru asked in a small voice. "You're scaring me. I really just want to go home…please?"

Zero's eyes softened a bit. "Ichiru…I'm sorry. I'm so very, very sorry. I love you. I always have and I always will, and nothing will ever change that. But I love Kaname, too. I love him so much. And he loves me back. If you truly love me like I love you, you'll leave here and not bother us again."

Ichiru's own eyes widened and he bowed his head. _Shikata ga nai_…*

"There's nothing that I would _love_ to do more than to _leave_ you and your _leech_ here _alone_," Yagari bit out, "but we can't ignore the fact that there's a law broken here. And the punishment for this is the _death of he offender_. In this case, that is you, you disgusting bloodsucker!" Zero had started shaking when he heard the vicious sarcasm in Yagari's baritone voice, and finally snapped when he finished his little speech.

"You aren't touchin' a hair on his head, bastard!" Zero roared, lunging at Yagari. The odd thing was, he didn't make it to Yagari. In the middle of his leap, Zero kind of…fell. Ichiru saw his eyes roll back in his head as he collapsed. He didn't hit the floor, either. He was caught easily in Kaname Kuran's outstretched arms, one of which was still faintly glowing purple; a residue of whatever spell he'd put Zero under to knock him unconscious.

"What did ya do?" Yagami asked, raising his gun towards Kuran once again. "What did ya do to 'im?"

"Just a simple sleep spell." Kuran said as he stared down lovingly at Zero. He shifted the silverette in his arms and brushed a strand of hair off of his boyfriend's face. "I don't think you'd ever forgive yourself if you shot at Zero." He said to Yagari. "But Zero means business when he tries to attack someone. And he wouldn't forgive himself if he hurt you, so I decided to make things easier on the both of us and just nudged him into unconsciousness."

"Good. Now hand him over and we'll let you be on your way." Matsushida said, bearing his sword again with a wry smile.

"Unlikely." Kaname stated. Though his expression remained amiable and genial, suddenly he had a terrifying aura about him that forced even Yagari to be still. "You see, it seems to me – from the way he was protesting earlier – that Zero doesn't want to go with you. In fact, he wants to stay here with me." Kaname smiled slightly. "If he were to go with you against his will, he would be unhappy. I never wish to make Zero unhappy again. Therefore, I am going to take him to a place where you cannot get to him and make him unhappy.

"If you follow us, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are not able to do so again, no matter how Zero feels to the contrary." Kaname finished. He closed his eyes and suddenly Kaname and Zero disappeared in a flourish of black bats.

"Zero." Ichiru murmured, staring at the spot the two had been, a fresh volley of tears streaming down his cheeks. Just seeing his brother alive and well was enough. He was with someone he loved more than anything. He did love his brother, but if he was happier somewhere else…then…_shikata ga nai_.

* * *

*****_**Shikata ga nai**_** – It must be done/it cannot be helped; used usually when stating that one must suffer a necessary evil. **

**A/N: Please, if I didn't use the phrase right, correct me. I wasn't really confident about this chapter in the first place, so if it got a little bit confusing or something of that nature, please let me know and I'll ask a beta reader to review it a bit for me. **

**Thank you for reading, my lovelies, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. ~ DH**


	8. Tōketsu

_Previously: _

_"Unlikely." Kaname stated. Though his expression remained amiable and genial, suddenly he had a terrifying aura about him that forced even Yagari to be still. "You see, it seems to me – from the way he was protesting earlier – that Zero doesn't want to go with you. In fact, he wants to stay here with me." Kaname smiled slightly. "If he were to go with you against his will, he would be unhappy. I never wish to make Zero unhappy again. Therefore, I am going to take him to a place where you cannot get to him and make him unhappy._

_"If you follow us, I will do everything in my power to make sure you are not able to do so again, no matter how Zero feels to the contrary." Kaname finished. He closed his eyes and suddenly Kaname and Zero disappeared in a flourish of black bats._

_"Zero." Ichiru murmured, staring at the spot the two had been, a fresh volley of tears streaming down his cheeks. Just seeing his brother alive and well was enough. He was with someone he loved more than anything. He did love his brother, but if he was happier somewhere else…then…__shikata ga nai__._

**Chapter 8:**

My head hurt like a bitch when I woke up. I groaned and slapped a hand over my face. Man…what happened last night? I slowly sat up and rolled my neck and shoulders, trying to get the ache out of my muscles. Blinking my bleary eyes I noticed that I wasn't in Kaname's and my bed. The style of it was the same but it lacked the color pattern. Through my slightly advanced Hunter senses I noticed that it also held none of Kaname's vampiric scent.

Besides the bed, the room was exactly the same, though I found the distinct lack of Kaname's smell everywhere. It was as if he'd only been in the room once. I slipped out of the bed, finding that I was in a pair of my normal silk pajamas, and padded with bare feet over to the door.

Outside of the room was a long hallway. I saw that it was slightly shorter than the one I remembered. I smelled Kaname's scent more clearly in the hallway, so I followed it all the way down to the very end. I rounded a corner and discovered that the hallway opened up into a large sitting room. Kaname was perched elegantly on the arm of a couch with a book in his hands.

It took all I had to not just jump his bones, I swear to God. His black silk shirt was unbuttoned, exposing his creamy-skinned, gorgeously muscled chest. His dark hair was slightly damp and stuck to his long, pale neck. I drooled a little before managing to compose myself. I cleared my throat.

Kaname looked up at me with a smile. "'Morning, sleepy-head."

With as much grace as I could muster – it wasn't very much, I assure you – I plopped down on the couch beside my boyfriend and practically dropped my head onto his lap.

"Morning. What the _fuck_ happened last night that made my head feel like someone drove a railroad spike through it?"

Kaname flinched slightly. "Sorry. That would be my doing. I'm afraid things started to go…badly yesterday and I decided to remove you from the situation. I used a mild sleeping spell on you in order to get you out of there."

Things went badly? What the hell did that mean? My curiosity awakened, I sat up a tiny bit to look Kaname in the eye. "What things went badly?"

"You don't remember?"

I wracked my brain for a minute. I remembered getting up after hearing someone talking outside of my door, and then…nothing. Nothing at all after that. "I suppose I don't."

"Hmm…maybe that sleep spell that I used was a tad too powerful for you." Kaname mused, putting his book aside to rake his fingers through my sleep-mussed hair. Eyes playful, Kaname continued, "And here I thought nothing was _too powerful_ for you."

My mouth gaped at the obvious innuendo. A flush raced up my cheeks. Suddenly Kaname, seizing the opportunity, captured my open mouth with his.

He still smelled delicious to me. Perhaps like chocolate and rain and…hm….Kaname, I suppose. It didn't help that his kisses made me tingle all over as if I'd just stepped into a warm bath after being outside in the snow for an hour. Every nerve was on fire. I could vaguely feel myself being shifted into a different position – straddling Kaname on the couch was not what I had been doing before, right?

The two of us broke apart and I rested my head against his neck, feeling my heart starting to calm down slightly.

"So," Kaname began, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, "have you given any thought to what we discussed a while back?"

I froze. He was bringing that up again?

The first night we'd spent together…umm…intimately, was wonderful except for one part of it. While basking in the afterglow, laying in the comfort of Kaname's arms, the brunette had asked me a question that almost gave me a heart attack. I'd stuttered and gasped for a couple minutes and then answered promptly with an 'I'll think about it.' But I guess that was the wrong answer.

On the one hand, it was something that I just really didn't want to think much about because I was extremely uncomfortable with it. But on the other…Kaname seemed really genuine and curious when he'd asked, and maybe even a little tiny bit sad.

And the worst part was…I never really did think about it, other than my head screaming 'NO, FUCK NO YOU STUPID PUNK-ASS BITCH!' at my heart, which kind of wanted to say yes to Kaname…

I closed my eyes and buried my face deeper in Kaname's neck. My reply came out mumbled and quiet. "I…I don't know, Kaname. I just…I don't know if becoming a vampire would be the best thing to do right now."

"That's okay." Kaname sighed. "I know that it would go against every fiber of your being, Zero, and I respect that you haven't come to a decision yet."

We sat in an uncomfortable silence until I launched myself off of Kaname's lap and ran to the window to look out at the landscape. I only saw white.

"Where are we?" I asked, placing a palm against the cold window. "I've never seen this much snow in Japan, that's for sure."

"We're in Russia." Kaname answered, coming up behind me and wrapping his arms around my waist, pressing against me. "There are Kuran mansions scattered all over the world, you know."

"Wow…Russia." I breathed. I'd never been to another country before – let alone another continent. Europe. Huh. I suddenly wish I knew Russian so I could communicate with the locals. My eyes narrowed when I noticed that there were no signs of life within my immediate vision. That was…curious, I suppose. Then again, the Kurans always did value their privacy, or so I'd been told. "So what brought on the sudden change in scenery, Kaname?"

The vampire in question licked a line up my throat that left me shuddering against the window and answered, "Those badly-going things that I was telling you about earlier. I didn't want them happening again so I brought you here and we've been here for about eighteen hours now."

Eighteen hours, I mentally whistled. That was a long time that I'd been asleep, not to mention whatever time it took to get from Japan to Russia. "What were the badly-going things, by the way?"

Kaname pondered this for a moment before replying warily to me, "I don't think that I should tell you – you should wait for the memory to return to you on its own. Me telling you might have an adverse effect on your mind and I don't want any damage to occur."

I nodded. Whatever it was couldn't be that important…right?

**((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))**

Yagari Toga put his head in his hands regretfully. His favorite student was kidnapped and developed Stockholm Syndrome in a very short amount of time. And even when faced with his twin brother, the only remaining member of his family, he refused to come away from the Kuran mansion and have a talk with a doctor. He'd even gone so far as to defend that _motherfucking leech_-!

"Yagari?"

The hunter in question looked up at Ichiru, whose features so hauntingly resembled Zero's that Yagari was almost startled. Almost.

Despite the fact that Ichiru and Zero shared the same hair, eyes, skin, and smile, they were both very different. In fact, that was where the resemblance ended; Ichiru had a very fragile constitution, and his health was almost as frail. His bones broke easily, he bruised like a ripe peach, and he strongly disapproved of anything to do with strong language. Whereas Zero was strong, had the skin of a rhino, and cussed like a sailor almost every chance he got.

However, anything Ichiru lacked in physical prowess was made up for in mental ability – the kid was a damn walking dictionary, encyclopedia, and thesaurus all in one. His deductive reasoning skill was above anything Yagari had ever seen before. He attended advanced college courses on a scholarship at a private institution and was on his way to a Ph.D in both quantum physics and biochemistry.

It wasn't that Zero wasn't smart – he had the intelligence that any soldier or hunter should have to catch their prey or defend their loved ones – but he just wasn't as book-smart as his brother. But Zero knew that he was supposed to protect Ichiru with everything he had. Ichiru was his only remaining family and he loved him with all of his heart.

Zero worked as a hunter, all day everyday (including some holidays), to support his brother and himself. The two of them rented out a little flat in a secluded area of town (one of the only personality traits that they shared was their need for privacy) and everyday when Zero would go to work, Ichiru would go to school. That was how it worked, and Zero would hear no arguments from his brother, even when he himself returned home in the wee hours of the morning, covered with blood and other bodily fluids, muscles aching and head pounding, with several gaping wounds in various zones on his person.

Ichiru had come to the Hunter's Society during Zero's shift and begged him to quit being a hunter and go to school with him instead. School was a lot less dangerous, he insisted, and he didn't like seeing Zero injured. Zero brushed him off, ruffled his hair with his non-bloodstained hand, and simply said, "I like being a hunter, and you like going to school. It seems like a nice arrangement to me."

The weaker of the two Kiryuus had spluttered indignantly and retorted, "Going to a place where you practically get _maimed_ every day doesn't sound like a _nice arrangement_."

Zero smiled and shook his head. That was the end of that argument, and the subject was never brought up again. But Yagari could see it in Ichiru's eyes whenever he would come to the Hunter's Society to bring something that Zero forgot, or even just to wish Zero good luck; Ichiru was unhappy with Zero's job. He thought it was a dangerous, horrible, dead-end job that would probably end with either Zero's death, or the Hunter's Society casting him out once he could no longer perform at the level he could now.

Ichiru was probably right. The president of the Hunter's Society would probably end up firing him or forcing him into retirement around the age of forty, perhaps even younger. Yagari would do his best to make sure that that didn't happen to the poor kid – he would try to make sure that Zero had at least a secretarial position lined up for him before the President kicked him to the curb, but there was no way to tell for sure if he could even manage that for him. After all, in the end, everything was the President's decision.

"Yagari, are you okay?" Ichiru asked, reaching forward to touch the hunter's shoulder. "You seem a bit far away…"

Yagari, startled out of his reverie, managed to compose himself. "I'm fine. Just…worried about Zero."

Ichiru sighed. He'd been trying so hard to tell them…but it seemed like they wouldn't listen… "Yagari, please just listen to me for a minute? I know that Zero being with Kaname is wrong, but that's no excuse to try and track them down! What will you do if you find them, anyway? It's not like you can stand up to a pureblood, let alone the progenitor of the Kuran line!"

"Ya know what?" Yagari asked, standing up. "WHEN I find your brother, he's going to be mincemeat. That goddamn leech is gonna eat him alive once he figures out that Zero isn't worth shit to him, and that's going to be the end of that. But if I can get to them before then…"

Ichiru hung his head. Apparently, Yagari wouldn't listen to reason. He picked up his textbooks and bag and left the Hunter's Society, with the hopes of getting to his class on time. His little pit-stop had really cost him a lot longer than he had thought it would, and he had wanted to get to class early to ask the professor about the selection of reading they'd had for homework…

As the bus pulled away from the curb, Ichiru sitting in the back seat inside, the silverette couldn't help but hope that his brother and his brother's lover were safe and happy…wherever they were.

* * *

**A/N: Well, hello there! Surprised to see me again? You shouldn't be. I have actually been working on this story, and I hope you didn't think that I abandoned it. That would be unfortunate **** This chapter is really kinda short considering the time I've been away, but I hope you're satisfied at least for the time being. **

**Honestly, this was mostly a filler. Kind of a background chapter, if you will. But mostly I was wasting time because I don't know how to proceed. If you have any ideas, please, lay them on me.**

**Also, there's a poll on my profile about what kind of story I should do next, so if you could go vote, that'd be great :) ~DH**


	9. Kyōki

Previously:

_"Ya know what?" Yagari asked, standing up. "WHEN I find your brother, he's going to be mincemeat. That goddamn leech is gonna eat him alive once he figures out that Zero isn't worth shit to him, and that's going to be the end of that. But if I can get to them before then…"_

_Ichiru hung his head. Apparently, Yagari wouldn't listen to reason. He picked up his textbooks and bag and left the Hunter's Society, with the hopes of getting to his class on time. His little pit-stop had really cost him a lot longer than he had thought it would, and he had wanted to get to class early to ask the professor about the selection of reading they'd had for homework…_

_As the bus pulled away from the curb, Ichiru sitting in the back seat inside, the silverette couldn't help but hope that his brother and his brother's lover were safe and happy…wherever they were._

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

_"Hmmm...K-Kaname..." I moaned, letting my head fall to the side, giving the brunette better access to the expanse of skin of my neck. His slightly rough tongue laved over the spot several times before two sharp pinpricks startled me out of the sensation. "Wha-What are you d-!" _

_An odd sound reached my ears. It sounded like someone sucking a drink through a straw...All of my muscles relaxed at the same time. Heat raced to my groin. A groan escaped my parted lips. _

_I was hyper-aware of everything around me. Music was still playing softly in the background, candles were still lit on the low coffee table, and Kaname's arms were around me, gently holding me up as I'd lost the ability to stand properly. Endorphins and lust raced through my veins._

_I flinched slightly when Kaname withdrew from my neck. His eyes were still glowing red from his remaining blood lust, and his engorged fangs still protruded from his lips. A bit of the precious red liquid dribbled down the side of his mouth; it created a crimson trail as it rolled down his jaw and disappeared. _

_The sexy vampire leaned forward to whisper in my ear, teeth grazing my earlobe, "Your blood exists only for me, Zero." _

_I nodded weakly and was suddenly caught up in a heated kiss. _

_****(((((((((((())))))))))))))))******_

I awoke with a start, sitting straight up in bed, breathing like I'd just run a marathon. Kaname sat up beside me.

"Hey, you okay?" He asked sleepily, wrapping his arms around me and bringing me closer to him.

"Y-yeah." I stuttered. "Just...never let me eat right before bed again, okay?"

Kaname nodded and pulled me back down to the pillows again.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))) ))))))))))))

The rest of that day wasn't very abnormal. Kaname tried to question me about my dream, and I'd refused to tell him anything; I passed it off as just a night-terror from my consumption of a bit too much food before going to bed and let it stay at that.

Soon after breakfast, and once we were both sufficiently bundled up, Kaname and I went for a walk in the snow. I decided very quickly that it was extremely cold in Russia at night. We hadn't been out there for more than half an hour and I was shivering so bad my teeth were knocking together. Kaname decided that it was a good idea to pick me up and carry me back to the sprawling manor so that we could get some kind of warm drink. I protested adamantly about being carried around like I was some kind of girl, and Kaname shut me up with a kiss to the lips that made me feel so warm I almost forgot that we were in the snow.

I was kind of depressed when we finally made it back to the compound; it had taken Kaname and I nearly half an hour to walk as far away from the house-thing as we had, and he had managed to carry me back within five minutes. And while I was not overweight by any means (if anything, I was on the leaner side of the scale) I was still well over a hundred pounds.

Vampire strength and speed, though, apparently were much more prominent in my lover than I had first imagined. Of course, he was able to manipulate people with his mind and use spells on them, but sometimes I forgot just how powerful he was.

Once we were both inside, and in front of a roaring fire with mugs of hot tea in our hands, I decided that it was time to tell Kaname about my dream.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))))))) ))))

To his credit, the vampire's expression didn't change once during my confession. In fact, it stayed the same comprehending, amiable smile the entire time. However, his eyes changed drastically as I explained my dream.

They went from happy, to elated, to expectant, to happy again. It was obvious that he was very pleased about the entire thing; due to this, I kinda felt like punching him in the face. The smug bastard! Of course, I considered the idea for a minute that maybe he had planted that dream in my head. That was a definite possibility. After all, he was able to put me to sleep and even control most of my muscles to force me to do anything, as was the absolute power of the pureblood vampire.

Honestly, the second I thought about it, I immediately pushed it from my mind. Kaname, while manipulative, conniving, and a little bit scary, loved me with all his heart and only wanted me to do what was comfortable for me. I'd already told him that while becoming a vampire didn't really entice me at the moment, it might very well do so in the near future.

That being said, he should have no reason to push me into it…right?

I sighed and snuggled closer to my boyfriend, who held me against him as we laid together on the couch. Whatever had happened, it wasn't so important now that I had to dwell on it.

Tiredly, I wondered how Ichiru was handling everyone back at the Hunter's Society. Whatever had happened back at the manor probably had given Ichiru some kind of nasty backlash. And knowing Yagari and the rest of my pals at the Society, it would be particularly horrible.

"Hey, Kaname," I began turning to look my boyfriend in the face, "can you tell me what happened back at the manor? I need to know."

Kaname's eyes softened. His lips quirked up in a half-smile. "Alright. I can see it's really eating at you, Zero." I smiled back at him and sat up. My boyfriend sat up with me and took my hands. He looked me in the eye and began to speak. "Well…your brother came to the manor, along with three hunters from the society."

Tiny pieces of the memory started to come back. My brother, sobbing against my embrace. Yagari, Yagami, and Matsushida screaming at Kaname.

"And then the hunters threatened me for kidnapping you…" Kaname continued.

_-__"Hey! Leech! You listenin'?"- _

_-"Tell us why we shouldn't just kill you now for abducting a member of the Hunter's Society?"-_

_-The soft, metallic 'snick' of a sword being pulled out of it's sheath-_

_-my stomach filling with a sudden dread, running across the room to protect Kaname from the hunters-_

_-my brother, voice soft and pleading, stepping forward slowly, begging me to come home-_

And then darkness as I prepared to launch myself at Yagari. That must have been Kaname putting me under the spell.

Kaname must have seen my expression for he stopped talking and just kept holding my hands. I gripped his tighter as the memory rocked me. My shoulders shook.

Oh, Ichiru. Please, for the love of god, don't remember me like that. Don't remember me with a snarl twisted on my lips, anger in my eyes, and my muscles tensed to pounce on my mentor with such violence. Please.

"I'm sorry for forcing you into unconsciousness." Kaname murmured, brushing a tear from my face that I hadn't even noticed was there. "I just didn't think that you really wanted to hurt that instructor of yours and…"

I threw my arms around Kaname and started crying again.

We stayed that way for a long while.

(((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))

Later that night, after Kaname and I were done with our nightly activities, I caught a glimpse of absolute trust and adoration in his burgandy eyes and I blurted out my decision.

"Yes." I said before I could stop myself. Kaname, who lay panting beside me, slowly realized what I was saying yes to. A blindingly bright grin stretched across his face. I was suddenly gently crushed against his chest.

"Are you really saying yes to this? Are you absolutely sure? There's no going back…" Kaname muttered against my head.

"I know, Kaname, but…I want to live the long flow of time with you." Nope. That definitely sounded a lot better in my head. It came out all cheesy and shit!

I found myself with Kaname's lips pressed against mine, molding to my own like they were made to be there.

He pulled away from me and rested his forehead against mine. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

I knew why he thanked me so profusely.

I understood.

He'd never have to be alone again.

I only hoped that Ichiru understood when he found out…

(((((((((((())))))))))))

Ichiru sneezed. He rubbed at his nose absently and continued his essay. He sighed lightly and stretched. He'd been working for six hours without stopping, and hoped with all his might that it was good enough for his teacher.

The teacher had assigned the essay last minute, saying that it was due the next day. Ichiru hated teachers that did things like that. He absolutely despised them. With a wry smile, Ichiru printed the document and then collected it, still-warm, from the printer. He'd never despised anything before, especially not a teacher or other figures of authority.

He couldn't help but wonder if Zero's vulgar attitude had rubbed off on him somehow, even if he wasn't around. Ichiru liked to think so.

Ichiru looked down at the essay in his hands and frowned. He didn't like the font of the type, but he had no way to correct it. Every Hunter's Society standard computer only had one font – it was how they kept everything uniform and neat-looking. Ichiru didn't want to go back home because that would mean leaving the Hunter's Society HQ.

He'd been frequenting the place even more because he was worried about Yagari. The man had displayed some frightening signs of anxiety and other mental problems. Ichiru had caught him once sharpening an anti-vampire knife while humming "Tiptoe Through the Tulips." Ichiru was extremely worried about the hunter.

He wondered what he could do. Maybe he could take another course in psychology…or check out a book on it from the University library. Either way, if Ichiru could do something about Yagari's newfound insanity, he would. Even if it was just to help him relax a little…or convince him that Zero really was better off with Kaname.

Even though he would never admit it, Zero sometimes, when he was around the house on his rare days off, would stare off into space with a frown on his lips. Ichiru, of course, wanted to know what was wrong. Zero would always just mutter about something being 'missing' and then forced Ichiru to drop the subject.

When Ichiru saw Zero with Kaname, behind the defensive glare he saw, Zero was truly happy. Not a fake happy just to show Ichiru that he was okay, but an actual at-peace happy. Ichiru could only hope that one day, Yagari would see that and would leave the two of them to be with each other, like they wanted to be.

Though doubted that it would happen.

(((((((((((()))))))))))

As he was driving back to the apartment from the University, Ichiru recognized a blonde vampire walking down the street. He had bright blue eyes and was wearing a white uniform.

That one servant…Ichiru thought.

He pulled the car over and followed the blonde into a restaurant. Ichiru walked confidently up to him and started speaking.

"Please let me talk." Ichiru said when the blonde was about to interrupt. "I know you're one of Kaname Kuran's servants. I know that you know where he took my brother. I don't care where they went, but wherever they did go, I want you to deliver a message to them."

The blonde's open mouth closed and he nodded. He gestured for Ichiru to go on.

"Please…tell them to be careful. The hunters are getting impatient. I think everyone should be prepared for an attack." Ichiru finished. "Thank you." The silverette bowed to the vampire and left the restaurant in a dignified manner, only to begin rushing to his car once he was outside.

He had dinner to make when he got home, after all.

* * *

**A/N: I don't know….I'm not too confident about that last part there. What do you guys think? Any ways to make it better? Hmmm…**

**Thanks for reading! If you guys could go vote on the poll on my profile that'd be great….If you could review that would be even greater…I love reviews They make my depression vanish for a few minutes. XD**

**Thanks again for reading and I'll see you when I post the next chapter. ~DH**


	10. Nigeru

**A/N: Hello, my lovelies :) Long time, no see, eh? Well, I decided that because I was so incredibly bored during these past few weeks that I would start writing my stories again, and voila! A new chapter was born! **

**Enjoy, please. **

**~DH**

* * *

**Previously:**

_As he was driving back to the apartment from the University, Ichiru recognized a blonde vampire walking down the street. He had bright blue eyes and was wearing a white uniform._

_That one servant…Ichiru thought._

_He pulled the car over and followed the blonde into a restaurant. Ichiru walked confidently up to him and started speaking._

_"Please let me talk." Ichiru said when the blonde was about to interrupt. "I know you're one of Kaname Kuran's servants. I know that you know where he took my brother. I don't care where they went, but wherever they did go, I want you to deliver a message to them."_

_The blonde's open mouth closed and he nodded. He gestured for Ichiru to go on._

_"Please…tell them to be careful. The hunters are getting impatient. I think everyone should be prepared for an attack." Ichiru finished. "Thank you." The silverette bowed to the vampire and left the restaurant in a dignified manner, only to begin rushing to his car once he was outside._

_He had dinner to make when he got home, after all._

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

I sighed and stretched languidly next to Kaname in the darkened sitting room. He ran his fingers through my hair and I felt like purring.

Kaname chuckled over the quiet murmur of the TV. "Your hair is getting pretty long," he remarked.

"Well I figured that I wouldn't be hunting anymore," I explained while laying my head in his lap, "so having longer hair won't be a danger. Unless you like it shorter?"

"No, your hair is fine," Kaname proved this point by tugging a little on one of the strands, "it suits you. Besides," his voice dropped an octave into a husky rumble, "it gives me something to hold onto."

My face heated up and I was just thankful that the room was dark. I cleared my throat. "So, uh…_when_, exactly, do you think?" It was an inquiry that I'd wanted to pose for a while, but had never found the courage to. After I'd agreed, Kaname hadn't breached the subject at all. In fact, I had been starting to wonder if he really wanted it at all.

There was a momentary pause and I wondered for a wild second if he had understood my question or not. That second then passed and I almost wanted to smack myself for my stupidity. He was Kaname – of course he had understood my question.

"Very soon. There are a few loose ends that I need to tie before I can turn you." Kaname drawled. "I don't suppose you realize how difficult it was to not simply sink my teeth into your neck the moment you agreed to become one of my kind. Even now, my restraint seems a bit lacking. However, if the Hunter's Society gets wind of your becoming a vampire…Anyway, it's simply too dangerous for you at the moment."

Any doubt in my mind was almost instantly erased. I allowed a content smile to settle on my lips and I pulled Kaname down for a kiss.

"I love you," I muttered against Kaname's mouth.

"I love you, too." Kaname replied.

(((((((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))))))

The next morning, Kaname asked me if I wanted to visit Moscow. His smile was strange, though. It seemed a bit off to me; it was just a little too tight.

"Sure," I said. "How long will it take to get there?"

Kaname instantly began packing for him and me, and offhandedly said, "Oh, about three hours in the jet."

After our rather hurried departure from the manor, we boarded the extremely expensive-looking, commercial-sized private jet that just-so-happened to be in the private, Kuran-family-owned aircraft hanger.

Once seated on the gorgeous leather upholstery, and after the stewardess brought us hot tea, I decided to call Kaname out.

"So you're going to tell me why you're acting so strangely today, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow while blowing on my tea in an attempt to cool the scalding liquid.

Kaname almost flinched. "It's nothing you need to worry about," he said softly, sipping at his drink, trying to hide his expression.

"Kaname, you need to learn that I won't shatter like glass. I can handle whatever you throw at me." I said bravely.

"Very well," Kaname grimaced. "Your brother informed Hanabusa Aido a few weeks ago that the hunters of the Society are becoming a bit testy with the current situation. My spy, Seiren, told me last night that the hunters managed to find a lead. The Russian Hunter's Society approved a raid on the manor, and I wanted to escape with you before they found us."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. The hunters were going to raid the manor, searching for Kaname and me. Had I already been labeled a traitor by the Society? How far would they go to steal me away from Kaname? Would anywhere be safe?

Kaname noticed my devastated expression and moved to kneel before me. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. You'll only worry for the entire time we're in Moscow. Zero, I promise you, I will not let anything happen to you."

"It's not me I'm worried about. They're looking for you, too, you know."

"I know." I could practically hear his next words. _'But if it meant giving you a chance to escape…'_

"Can we stop talking about this now?" I asked, taking a gulp of my room temperature tea.

"Yes, please." Kaname sounded slightly relieved. He returned to his seat directly next to me and flipped on the TV while taking out his cell phone.

"I thought you weren't supposed to have cell phones on planes." I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and shifting so I was leaning against Kaname.

"That's just a lie they tell the passengers of a plane so that they don't annoy everyone around them." Kaname smiled brightly at me. "I need status updates from Seiren, so why don't you find something to watch on TV?" He held out the remote and I winced at the amount of buttons spread out all over the thin, black device. I didn't know if I would be able to figure out how to work the damn thing…

I was relaxing against Kaname's shoulder, flipping through channels (I'd had to call for the stewardess to come and show me how to even turn the volume up and down. It was mortifying.) when the vampire tensed and furiously began texting a reply to whatever Seiren had sent him.

"What happened?" I asked, not peeling my eyes from the screen. Channel 1023, 1024, 1025…

"The hunters just broke into the manor." Kaname replied tersely.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yes. Luckily, I had everyone evacuate at the same time we left. All of the servants are fine." Kaname said, still viciously stabbing at his phone's keyboard.

"Good."

The rest of the flight was spent in slightly uncomfortable silence, until half an hour before we were to land at an airport in Moscow.

"We both need to change." Kaname said, standing and stretching before holding his hand out to me. "It's very cold in Moscow this time of year, even more so than where the manor was. Also, the clothing will serve as disguises in case some of the hunters are brighter than we take them for."

I took his hand and let him pull me to the back of the plane, where there was a full bedroom with a closet full of clothes. I sat on the extremely soft bed and allowed Kaname to pick out several items from the closet and put them next to me.

After donning several heavy fur coats (I probably looked like a marshmallow) a ridiculous fur hat, and a pair of fur-lined snow-boots, the only thing that I could think of was how much fur Russian fashion required. It was no wonder animals were going extinct from over-hunting. Kaname wrapped a long cashmere scarf around my neck a few times and then proceeded to change as well.

When we finally exited the plane, the biting cold air was almost welcome to my sweaty and flushed skin. Kaname had seen it fit to kiss me until I was breathless as the plane was landing and all of the coats I was bundled in didn't allow any of the resulting heat to leave. Just when the cold was starting to become uncomfortable, we entered the indoor part of the airport.

Traversing the Moscow airport was rather odd. I couldn't read any of the signs because they were, for the most part, in Russian and English. Kaname seemed to know where he was going and what exactly he was going to do once we got there, though. With my hand clasped in his and two bodyguards flanking us, Kaname rented a car and procured a penthouse suite at a five-star hotel.

I sat with Kaname in the back seat while the two bodyguards sat in the front, one of them muttering something about a protection detail and maneuvering easily in and out of the heavy Moscow traffic, while the other texted quickly and efficiently on a Blackberry.

"Kaname," I gasped as I sat up, "what about Ichiru? You mentioned that he said the hunters are getting impatient…they haven't kidnapped him or anything, right?"

"Zero," Kaname soothed, brushing his fingers over my cheek, "Ichiru is okay. Seiren is watching over him. She'd never let anything happen on her watch, believe me."

I breathed a sigh of relief and sagged in my seat once more. Ichiru was the one person that the Society could use against me. I'd protected him since we were born and I wasn't about to let that protection be compromised just because a group of trigger-happy idiots wanted to get me back to Japan.

"Fuck." I groaned, leaning my head back against the headrest. I threw an arm over my face and tried to block out the bright lights of the huge city.

"What's wrong?" Kaname asked. He reached over, unbuckled my seatbelt, and dragged me onto his lap.

"Well," I remarked dryly, "there's the manhandling issue, of course, but besides that- I guess I'm just a bit tired. I want to be able to save Ichiru from the Society but I can't. I want to go home, back to Japan, but I can't. I want to be able to protect you…but I can't."

"Zero…" Kaname's strong arms wrapped around me and pulled me flush against his body. "You don't need to protect me. I can take care of myself. You need to take care of you. Let me handle the rest."

I nodded once and buried my face in his chest. Kaname was right. He could definitely take care of himself. However, I'd spent all of my life protecting Ichiru, making sure he was healthy and helping him when he wasn't, paying bills and finding food and…well…destroying vampires because they threatened Ichiru's and my fragile existence. Suddenly having no way to keep him safe was…terrifying.

"Kuran-sama, we have arrived at the hotel," one of the bodyguards said as we pulled up in front of an extremely tall building.

Kaname nodded to the man as he stepped out of the car and held his hand out for me to take. He pulled me out as well and as soon as the door was shut, the car drove off. A group of six strong-looking vampires approached us, all of them wearing crisp white suits and sunglasses, despite the fact that it was nighttime. Kaname looked the men over before speaking in a quiet, smooth drawl.

"Have you checked the room?"

"Yes, Kuran-sama. There are no bugs, wires, or cameras. No sign of anything being tampered with."

"Good." Kaname turned to me. "Why don't we head inside, Love?" I nodded my assent and we stepped into the warm, bright lobby. We bypassed the check-in desk and went straight for the elevators.

I have to admit, standing in an elevator with several heavily-muscled men dressed in white suits and myself and my boyfriend dressed in ridiculous-looking fur coats and hats was a little too funny for me. What made it even better was the fact that mind-numbing elevator music was softly playing in the background, adding another dimension to the hilarity that was the ride up to the very top floor. I had a hard time not breaking down in laughter the entire time.

Instead of a normal key-card door, like most hotels and motels had, the door to our room required a passcode and then a thumbprint. One of the men stepped forward and entered the code and allowed the machine to scan his thumb. The door unlocked with a loud, mechanical _shunk_ sound.

Another man opened the door and held it for us as I walked inside, followed by Kaname. Kaname paused and turned to the group, pursing his lips slightly.

"Two of you shall remain posted outside of this door at all times. Please do so in shifts of no more than eight hours. I want the other four of you to be patrolling hallways, monitoring exits, making sure there is no suspicious activity. Do you understand?" Kaname demanded swiftly.

"Yes, Kuran-sama."

Kaname didn't answer. Instead he motioned for the man still holding the door to allow it to close. The second it shut, Kaname swept me up into his arms and practically kicked open the door to what I guess was the bedroom. A thrill shot down my spine.

"I need you." Kaname growled as he laid me down and peppered tiny kisses all over my face and neck. "Now."

I gave a breathless chuckle and wound my hands through his hair, "And I need you." And I always will.

The rest of that night was a bit of a blur to me, but I did remember Kaname's dark red eyes growing light and beginning to glow. I remembered fangs lengthening and scraping against my jugular. I remembered the sudden pain and then soothing pleasure of my blood being drawn from my veins. I remembered Kaname's voice, like dark chocolate and wine, calling out my name in ecstasy.

I remember relaxing when the darkness closed over my vision and smiling a little when Kaname pulled me tight against him, my head tucked under his chin and his arms wrapped across my body like steel bands.

The next thing I remember is the morning sunlight streaming in through the open curtains, burning my eyes and making me hiss in displeasure. I buried my face in the soft pillows.

_-Too bright too hot where did the darkness go- _

"I'm sorry, Love. I'll go shut them." Ah…Kaname. Sunlight was bad, that was for sure. But Kaname was different. Kaname was…

_-cool dark chocolate wine spice blood bliss love protection happiness-_

Once the curtains were closed, spreading the cold dark throughout the room, Kaname returned to our bed and gently caressed my neck. "Love, I need to explain something to you."

"Mmmmmm?"

"Last night, I lost control. I didn't mean to do it…but…" Kaname hesitated. I sat up. Nothing made Kaname hesitate. I opened my eyes and took in his lovely but worried face. "…I…I bit you. I turned you into a vampire."

* * *

**A/N: Ooooooooooooohhhh… aren't I evil? I think I should have some sort of plaque to put on my door that says: Warning! Occupant is pure evil! Well, anyways, PLOT TWIST MUDDAFU**AS. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. The next one will be out just as soon as I can get it written, I promise. Until then, have nice lives, okay? ~DH**


	11. Yurushi

**A/N: Aren't I just despicable? Leaving you like that…goodness…. I'm a horrible person. :) But you love me anyway, don't you?**

**PLEASE NOTE THIS WARNING: Things are going to start getting even MORE OOC from this point on! I'm talking vicious fighting dogs turning into small poodles that have tea parties with little girls! And if you can't stand reading anything OOC, I urge you to turn back now. Got that out of the way? Good. **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's one of those chapters, I think, that I write when I have nothing else to do. Well, that doesn't matter. It's a new chapter, and it's here for your reading pleasure. So please have fun reading! **

**Oh, and just a heads-up – this chapter doesn't really begin where the last chapter left off. It most certainly doesn't begin with Zero's point of view. It begins with a certain silver-haired twin of a vampire hunter turned vampire, and the eye patch-wearing Toga Yagari. Now do you see why I call myself evil? ~DH**

**NOTE: Ummm...I made a bit of an oops in my writing of this chapter - I made Aido's eyes green. However, one of my reviewers (you helpful thing, you! :)) let me know that the one with green eyes and blonde hair is not Aido, but Takuma. I think I've fixed this issue but if you see any spots in the entire story where I may have missed something, will you let me know? (I'm all embarrassed and stuff now, but that's okay cuz I know my fans will always have my back! Thank you very much~!)**

* * *

**Previously:**

-Too bright too hot where did the darkness go-

"_I'm sorry, Love. I'll go shut them." Ah…Kaname. Sunlight was bad, that was for sure. But Kaname was different. Kaname was…_

-Cool dark chocolate wine spice blood bliss love protection happiness-

_Once the curtains were closed, spreading the cold dark throughout the room, Kaname returned to our bed and gently caressed my neck. "Love, I need to explain something to you." _

"_Mmmmmm?" _

"_Last night, I lost control. I didn't mean to do it…but…" Kaname hesitated. I sat up. Nothing made Kaname hesitate. I opened my eyes and took in his lovely but worried face. "…I…I bit you. I turned you into a vampire."_

* * *

**Chapter 11: **

Ichiru paced back and forth, warily keeping his eyes on Yagari. How could he possibly do something like that? What could have possessed him to-!

"I tried to tell you. I tried to explain that you shouldn't go after them!" Ichiru exclaimed, pausing in his manic pacing. He glared fiercely at the hunter. "I tried to tell you that people would get hurt – Kuran Kaname is a pureblood and therefore the entire vampiric society supports and protects him. I tried to tell you that if you sent hunters after them – any hunter at all – they would be slaughtered. You didn't believe me, and now look at what's happened! Twenty Russian hunters are dead because of your stupidity, your ignorance! They had lives and families and friends, and you threw all of them away like garbage because _you can't stand to see Zero happy_!" Ichiru snatched up a stapler from Yagari's desk and hurled it at his head with a snarl.

Yagari caught the stapler with a scowl. "It's not that I can't bear seeing him happy," he spat the word as if it were poison, "it's that he's not really happy. That damn leech obviously screwed with his brain and is _using_ him to keep the Society from attacking them outright-"

Ichiru's vision started going red. He opened his mouth and words began violently spilling out. "God damn it, Yagari! You think Zero is still just a scared little kid – you think he's not capable of taking care of himself! If he'd been held against his will all this time, he'd have escaped by now, and that's a fucking fact." Ichiru went in for the hypothetical kill, "Just because a man you loved turned out to be using you doesn't mean Kaname is using Zero." The widening of Yagari's visible eye and the clenching of his teeth told Ichiru that he'd gone a bit too far.

"That's it!" Yagari roared, leaping from his desk chair and lunging at Ichiru.

The silverette closed his eyes and cringed away from the imminent impact. Just when he thought Yagari was going to tackle him to the ground, a pair of arms wrapped around Ichiru's waist and cold breath blew in his ear.

"He really should pay more attention to his surroundings." A smooth voice murmured. Ichiru's eyes sprang open. White-clothed arms. Ichiru turned and saw the blonde-haired, blue-eyed servant vampire he'd informed of the Hunter's Society's activities.

Ichiru then glanced back at Yagari, whose feet had been frozen to the ground and whose mouth had been covered with ice.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to harm you." The vampire told Yagari with a smile. The smile then dropped, and so did the pitch of his voice. "But Kaname-sama ordered that Kiryuu Ichiru be protected from other vampires and all other dangers. I'd never expected that those dangers would include you."

The vampire still hadn't let go of Ichiru, whose cheeks heated up as if his blood were lava. The vampire really was quite attractive, what with his styled blonde hair, azure irises, and crème-colored skin. Ichiru wondered idly whether or not it would be as soft as it looked.

"Are you alright, Kiryuu-san?" The vampire asked Ichiru suddenly, eyes wide and searching.

Ichiru released the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Yeah." He exhaled heavily.

The vampire smiled a little. "I know this may seem a bit…forward of me, but would you like to go and get some coffee with me?"

"Yes. Yes I would." Ichiru answered immediately. "But I don't even know your name."

"Aido. Aido Hanabusa."

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Kiryuu Ichiru." Ichiru held out his hand for Aido to shake. Aido surprised him when he grasped Ichiru's hand and pulled it up to his lips.

Aido pressed a soft kiss against the back of Ichiru's hand and grinned at the human's shocked face. "Believe me, the pleasure is all mine."

(((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))

I blinked very slowly a few times. My head spun a little bit. Kaname looked at me with concern written plainly across his face, but his burgundy eyes were pleading, searching. His scent filled my nose, and it wasn't his normal smell. There was something on top of the rain and spice smell, something sharp and pungent.

Kaname was afraid. He was terrified, but of what? There was no danger here.

"_I…I bit you."_

"_I turned you into a vampire."_

"…_turned you into a vampire."_

"…_a vampire." _

A _vampire._

Kaname lost control of himself and turned me into a vampire. And now he was afraid. Of my reaction, perhaps? Did he expect me to yell and cuss and tell him he was a horrible person? Did he think I would stop loving him just because of this? That fucking idiot…

I told him just that. "You're fucking stupid."

Kaname blinked in surprise, obviously not anticipating that. "What?"

"You're all afraid of me being mad at you and shit and I'm just a badass fucking vampire now! I'm still the same person who loves you in the same way. I can just be a bit more…"I searched for a word that wouldn't sound as if I'd been trying to make the sentence into an innuendo and failed miserably, so I settled on, "_enthusiastic_ about loving you now." Nope. Still an innuendo. Shit.

"But this could be very dangerous for you and Ichiru. You being a vampire might force the Society's hand – they might capture him and use him against you. Against both of us." Kaname lamented.

I raised an eyebrow. "You sound like you want me to be all mad at you. Look, I can handle this. Do I look any different?"

"Not by much."

"Do I smell any different?"

"Not by much."

"And I'll learn to control the bloodlust, and they'll never guess that I'm a vampire. So what's the problem here? Oh, right. You're being fucking dense." I grinned teasingly.

Kaname opened his mouth to retort, so I covered it with mine.

"You know I can't argue when you present things logically." Kaname groaned when we parted.

"And that's why I do it," I commented lightly, finally making a move to stand from the bed and stretch out my limbs. I noticed Kaname endeavoring to keep his eyes on the lightly blood-splattered sheets of the bed. "Are you still upset about the whole vampire thing?"

"It's just that I didn't even ask for your permission or anything!" Kaname blurted, his fists clenching in the bedclothes. "I just…I just sank my teeth into your throat and…"

"And I enjoyed it." I admitted, seeing blatant surprise flash across his pale face. "I honestly genuinely enjoyed you drinking my blood. In fact, last night may have been the most pleasurable night of my life, Kaname. So understand that I'm not upset with you, and you shouldn't be upset with yourself. It happened, and it's done now. I'm a vampire, and there's no going back to being a human, so SHUT UP!"

I ran a hand through my hair and sighed. I hated having to reassure Kaname. It didn't happen very often that he was insecure or unsure, but when it did it was really, really bad. Seeing Kaname so unlike himself was unsettling, to say the least, because the pureblood was generally very confident in everything he did and said.

"Zero…you really…don't mind?" Kaname asked haltingly.

"I really don't mind, Kaname. In fact, I feel much closer to you now," I laughed and flashed Kaname a smile.

The pureblood's answering grin caught me off guard. It was so carefree, so happy, that if I were a sappier person I would've burst into tears. As it was, the flamboyantly gay side of my brain was jumping up and down squealing like a girl, cooing over how cute Kaname was. I winced at the metaphorical volume.

"So what now?" I asked after Kaname and I had taken a shower. (Yes, I do mean we had taken a shower together, and you may infer whatever you'd like from that)

"Now? We take a tour of the city to test your control, of course." Kaname grinned maliciously. I suppressed a shiver. Something told me that my nonexistent blood lust wouldn't be so nonexistent once I was around humans.

"Umm…maybe we should hold off on that until I've had my first meal. After all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right?" I attempted to stall for time so I could think of another plan.

Kaname's perfect eyebrows shot to his hairline. "Do you already have someone in mind, Love?"

A wicked thought crossed my mind and I decided to act on it before I chickened out. "Yes of course I have someone in mind." Ha. Let's see how you react to this, bastard.

And honestly, the wide-eyed, jaw-hanging-on-the-floor expression Kaname adopted as I was stalking towards him like the ultimate predator I happened to be was almost comical.

(((((((((((((()))))))))))))))

Ichiru stirred more sugar into his coffee and struggled to keep his eyes on the table instead of on the very attractive vampire sitting just two feet across from him. Aido had led Ichiru from Yagari's office into a limousine waiting just outside of the Hunter's Society HQ. Ichiru had a feeling he would never know how Aido got into the building in the first place, but when he saw the absolute loathing in Yagari's eyes as the pair were leaving, Ichiru decided he didn't really care.

After the fluorescent-lit hallways and cold, impersonal smell that seemed to permeate the entire HQ, the warm ambient lighting and aroma of freshly brewed beverages was delicious. Jazz music played softly over the stereo and seemed to hush all other sounds except for Aido's voice. Despite most of the tables in the shop being occupied, Ichiru felt strangely isolated, as if he was in another dimension.

"He's going to come after you, you know." Aido said conversationally as he sipped from his own mug. "Yagari. Now that he knows Kuran-sama wants you to be protected, he'll track you down and try to capture you, just like he did with Zero-sama."

Ichiru drank a bit of his coffee and still wouldn't look up from the table. Aido reached across the space between them and placed two fingers under Ichiru's chin, gently guiding his gaze up to focus upon the blonde.

Aido's blue eyes were fierce. "Ichiru, I promise. I promise I won't let them get you. But you have to listen to me and do what I say."

Ichiru jerked his head away from Aido's hand. He was suddenly furious with the vampire for his assumption. "And what makes you think I don't want them to drag Zero back just as much as Yagari does?"

Aido's gaze softened a bit. "Because if you did want that, you never would've told me what the Hunter's Society was planning. And you never would have agreed to come get coffee with me." Aido jiggled his mug a bit for emphasis.

Ichiru swallowed thickly as he desperately tried to defend himself. "I – that doesn't even matter anymore. I had a lapse in judgment, and it won't happen again."

"No, that's not it." Aido smiled a bit. "That's not it, at all. You told me about the Society because you care about Zero-sama's happiness, and know that when he's with Kuran-sama, he is happy."

"Well, what about my own happiness?" Ichiru countered. "What if I'm happiest when my brother is by my side? Don't I deserve to be happy, too?"

"Yes, you do." Aido answered. He polished off his coffee quickly and took both of Ichiru's hands in his. "You deserve just as much happiness as your brother, if not more. You've been so strong, Ichiru. You've put up with so much, and you have the scars to prove it. But now it's time for you to stop fighting and let go." Aido released Ichiru's hands and reached into his pocket. "This is my number," Aido said, pressing a card into the silverette's palm, "if you're interested in seeing you brother and evading the Hunter's Society, I urge you to call me tomorrow morning. Please, Ichiru," Aido's stare was searching, "I really like you, and I don't want to see you get hurt-"

"And I don't want your pity!" Ichiru exclaimed indignantly.

"Trust me, I don't pity you. I admire you, Ichiru. I envy you. You're strong, no matter what anybody else says." Aido said.

The blonde vampire's phone began vibrating on the table. He glanced at it an abruptly stood from his seat. He took his coat from the back of his chair and wrapped a scarf around his neck.

"What's happened?" Ichiru inquired. "What's wrong?"

Aido smiled tightly. "Just some hunters stepping a bit out of line. It's nothing I can't handle." He began to walk away but turned back just before he left the coffee house. "The offer still stands, Ichiru. Think about it."

Then the vampire turned and vanished into the dusk.

Ichiru rubbed his eyes tiredly and let his head fall onto the table in front of him. The entire day had him exhausted and wanting to just go home and have a hot bath. He sat up straight and called a waitress over.

"Hello!" The waitress said brightly. "Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you. Can I have the check, please?" Ichiru asked.

"But your date already paid, sweetie," The waitress smiled. "Where did he go, by the way?"

Oh…Aido paid for him? But why would he do that? "Um…he had to go somewhere for his job, and I have to get going to," Ichiru sheepishly grinned back. "Thank you very much. My coffee was very good."

Ichiru donned his coat and scarf and stepped out of the warm coffee shop into the cold winter air. A chill instantly settled into his hands so he shoved them in his pockets and began the ten-minute walk to his flat. He was determined not to slip on the tiny patches of ice that dotted the pavement.

He was so focused on this task that he didn't notice the hunter sneaking up behind him until it was almost too late.

* * *

**A/N: Queen of the cliffhangers strikes again! What will happen next? OMG I don't even know yet. So stay tuned. There will be more of this story when I can get it written. I promise. **

**Also, please let me know if this chapter is utter crap, just like the last one. Both of them aren't very good because I've lost the style of writing that I used when I was writing what Zero was thinking. He's very OOC now, and I don't know if people really want to read that…anyways, please let me know. I can have them beta read and then reposted if you can't stand them. **

**Stay magnificent~!**

**~DH**


	12. Uragiri

**A/N: Aaaaaaaaaaand – back again! Yay! A new chapter! I think I drank too much coffee this morning! Wheeeeeeeeeee! (Holy crap, it's chapter 12 already…whew…)**

**I hope you all had a fabulous day, and I hope I make that day even better~! **

**You guys should feel real special right about now – I'm procrastinating on my summer reading assignments for you people. Feel special, dammit! **

**It's a little bit shorter this time, I'm sorry, but I'll explain down at the bottom, okay?**

**Anyways, enjoy, my lovelies~!**

**~DH**

* * *

**Previously: **

_Oh…Aido paid for him? But why would he do that? "Um…he had to go somewhere for his job, and I have to get going to," Ichiru sheepishly grinned back. "Thank you very much. My coffee was very good." _

_Ichiru donned his coat and scarf and stepped out of the warm coffee shop into the cold winter air. A chill instantly settled into his hands so he shoved them in his pockets and began the ten-minute walk to his flat. He was determined not to slip on the tiny patches of ice that dotted the pavement. _

_He was so focused on this task that he didn't notice the hunter sneaking up behind him until it was almost too late._

* * *

**Chapter 12: **

Ichiru didn't know what was going on at all. He had been walking home, (Well, at least that was the last thing he remembered…) and then he was face-down on the pavement. His vision was blurry and the back of his head was throbbing.

"Get up, Kiryuu!" The words sounded very faint and far away, as if someone were yelling at him from down the block. Ichiru's ears rang with the high-pitched buzz that comes from a hard cranial impact. "…away…vampire!...are…doing…" And then came a loud shriek that would've sent shivers down Ichiru's spine had he not been so dizzy. He stared at the odd pool of liquid on the ground, flowing across the white ice and almost giggled. The streetlights reflected in the puddle made it look like stars in a dark red sky.

"Ichiru?" A different voice. That's odd, Ichiru thought. "Might have…injury…call Kaname…tell Zero…ambulances…body…" Ichiru's battered brain tried to make sense of the words in some way, but all he could connect were 'Zero' and 'ambulances.' Zero needs an ambulance? Ichiru panicked. Had the hunters gotten to him? The extra blood flow to his brain from the adrenaline made Ichiru feel faint. His field of vision began to darken.

"Ichiru! ...stay awake…" Why should he stay awake when all he wanted to do was sleep?

He sank into the darkness easily and knew no more.

When Aido arrived at the location of the supposed 'trouble' with the hunters, he took a cursory glance around. Nobody. Nobody was there at all. Not even the vampire who'd texted him.

The blonde cursed under his breath. It was a set-up. A trap. He turned and was sprinting the opposite way as fast as he could manage with his vampiric speed. Ichiru was in danger. And after Aido had promised him…

Seiren! Aido thought suddenly. Seiren will be able to hold off any dangers until I can get there! His speed did not decrease in the slightest. He breathed in heavily through his nose, trying to find the scent of the Kiryuu. He located just a hint of the silverette in the air near the exit of the coffee house. So he left the shop and went…

_1.2 Kilometers to the northwest. He's bleeding heavily,_ Aido's brain helpfully supplied. He cussed again and increased his speed. He rounded another corner and the intoxicating aroma of Ichiru's blood flooded his senses. He focused on something else and tried not to let his bloodlust take over. After all, his control had never been the best.

Using most of his fading restraint, Aido stopped several meters away from where he saw Seiren easily restraining the hunter who had attacked Ichiru. Ichiru was lying on the ground a bit past them, the crimson wound on the back of his head oozing slowly.

The restrained hunter's eyes widened when he caught sight of Aido. He struggled harder in Seiren's grip and called out to Ichiru. "Get up, Kiryuu!" Aido advanced on the helpless hunter, his eyes glowing with bloodlust, his fangs extending against his will. "Get away from me, vampire! Wait…what are you doing?"

Aido reached the hunter and yanked his head to the side, exposing his jugular vein. His fangs sank into it as if it were butter. The hunter shrieked so loudly it hurt Aido's sensitive ears. Annoying and disgusting, Aido rolled his eyes. He drained the hunter until his struggling had become weak gasping as his heart tried to pump blood that was no longer there. Aido pulled away and Seiren let the body drop.

Aido made his way quickly over to Ichiru. "Ichiru?" He asked, hearing the teen still breathing and feeling relieved. He turned back to Seiren, who was waiting for orders. "He has a head injury so I don't want to move him just yet. I'll call Kaname and have him tell Zero that the hunters have attacked Ichiru. Japan isn't safe for him anymore, so we'll be bringing him to them. But don't call for any ambulances – we can take Ichiru with us once we have backup. Take care of the body, please." Aido commanded. His ears registered Ichiru's heartbeat slowing as if he were falling asleep. "Ichiru, please stay awake for me. You have to stay awake!" He would have a concussion at the least, and severe brain damage at the most.

Either way, Aido supposed, they would need one of the doctors that tended to the Kuran family to have a look at Ichiru before they could take him out of the country.

Aido cursed once again as Ichiru fell asleep, but at least his heartbeat was steady and the bleeding was becoming slower. Aido removed his jacket and tore it into strips to wrap around Ichiru's head to staunch the bleeding further.

Suddenly he wondered which of the vampires among those that served the Kuran family was a traitor. After all, the text message that had drawn Aido away from Ichiru had come from the phone of someone that Aido knew. With one hand still putting pressure on Ichiru's wound, Aido took out his cell phone and checked his previous messages.

_Hunters attacking – come ASAP_

_5-2 Maruka, Chuo-ku_

Aido scanned over the message until he got down to the signature of the text. He barely stifled a gasp and his eyes widened in horror. It couldn't possibly be her…could it? Could she have betrayed Kaname? Could she have been the one to orchestrate this entire thing?

As soon as the backup Seiren had called for arrived and the doctor was on scene, Aido left Ichiru's side and speed-dialed Kaname. No matter what his reaction would be, Kaname had to know that that…woman was a traitor.

(((((((((((((((((()))))))))))))))))))

Zero was sleeping soundly and Kaname was filling out paperwork at the desk of the luxurious hotel room when his cell phone rang with Aido's personalized ringtone. Zero jerked awake, his hearing still hyper-sensitive. Kaname sighed and scribbled his name in one more box before snatching the offending object from the glossy surface of the desk.

"Yes, Aido?" Kaname asked, trying to keep his temper.

"_My Lord, I apologize for such an abrupt interruption, but this is a matter that definitely could not wait. Kiryuu Ichiru has been attacked." _

"What?" Zero exclaimed, obviously having overheard the conversation. He was wide-awake now. "What happened?"

"_One of the hunters decided to try and capture him, but over-estimated the density of Ichiru's bones. Instead of the blow knocking him unconscious, his skull was fractured on impact, and he lost a large amount of blood. The hunter was killed shortly thereafter." _

"Is he going to be okay?" Zero asked desperately, by Kaname's side in a flash and clasping his free hand frantically.

"_We don't know as of yet. The Kuran family doctor is examining him now, and we'll know more in an hour." _

Zero's legs felt like jelly. Kaname caught him around his waist as he started falling and pulled him onto his lap.

"Once he is stabilized, you will get him on one of the jets and on a course for Vancouver, Canada. Then you are to have him and an extremely skilled medical team transport him by train to British Columbia. From there, I will contact you in a different manner. I'm fairly certain this call isn't being monitored, but I'd like to be safe." Kaname demanded, carding his fingers through Zero's hair in an attempt to comfort him.

"_Kaname…there's something else you need to know. The person who tried to get Ichiru captured…" _

Kaname raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Aido. Who was it?"

"_Ruka. Souen Ruka."_

* * *

**A/N: Awwww….poor you guys…a shorter chappie for you :( I'm sorry, but it couldn't be helped. This was a natural break in the plot line and points of view and if I'd continued, I would've had to write until there was another break of this sort, which means this chapter would've been in production longer and not uploaded as quickly and it would've been a big mess! So really, shorter chapters mean you get more updates. No biting off my head, please. **

**Also, if you noticed there was a Japanese-style address in there, in the text that Ruka sent Aido. Now, I have no idea where that is, nor do I care to know. So it might even be something made up – either way, please don't get angry at me about geographical stuff. I don't know every street and block and prefecture and building in Japan, and I don't claim to. **

**I hope you all have a fantastic day, and as always, if I made any mistakes please let me know and I'll get them fixed up right away~! **

**~DH**


	13. Yami

**A/N: Well, hello there, audience! Looking good, looking good! Such an attractive audience ;) Back again for some more sexy vampiric anime guys, yeah? That's what I come back for, too! **

**I thank those of you who have stuck with me from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to those who have favorited, followed, and reviewed this fic or any of my other fics. You are the reason I continue this arduous journey into the deep, dark cellars of my mind. Thank you so, so much! This chapter is dedicated to all of my reviewers (You know who you are~!)**

**I'm so sorry about the wait, but the formatting on was being weird. First the entire thing was in Italics and then the entire thing was underlined and I had to fix it all manually in the end. **

**I suppose we should get on with show now, since I've been keeping you waiting long enough :)**

**Enjoy~!**

**~DH**

* * *

**Previously:**

_"Once he is stabilized, you will get him on one of the jets and on a course for Vancouver, Canada. Then you are to have him and extremely skilled medical teams transport him by train to British Columbia. From there, I will contact you in a different manner. I'm fairly certain this call isn't being monitored, but I'd like to be safe." Kaname demanded, carding his fingers through Zero's hair in an attempt to comfort him._

"Kaname…there's something else you need to know. The person who tried to get Ichiru captured…"

_Kaname raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Aido. Who was it?"_

"Ruka. Souen Ruka."

* * *

**Chapter 13: **

"S-souen-sama…I'm afraid to report that…the capture of Kiryuu Ichiru was unsuccessful," the vampire cringed, waiting for the berating he was sure he would receive. He wasn't disappointed.

"What?! You pathetic excuse for a vampire, I send you to complete one simple task and you fail like the miserable sack of unworthy blood you've tried so hard to prove you're not?" Came the screeching reply. "You know the punishment for failing a mission when you've been given direct orders, do you not?"

The male vampire looked around wildly. He was just the messenger. He'd only hired that hunter and that was where his involvement ended. He didn't want to die just because of that. He'd never asked to become a vampire. He didn't want this life. He didn't want to _die here_-

"I apologize, Lady Souen. The incompetence of my brother will not disgrace your presence any longer."

-Oh, thank _God_! It was all Vincent could do to not sigh in relief. His older brother would protect him from this banshee, and then the two of them could go home and it would be like nothing had ever happened-

"You believe he will leave this room alive?" Lady Souen bit out.

"I believe you should allow me to execute him for you, My Lady," Luciano calmly replied, moving closer to Vincent with his fingers curled into claws. Fear sank into Vincent's bones. "You need not dirty your hands with his unworthy blood."

A cruel smile settled upon Lady Souen's face. A long shudder ran down Vincent's spine. What did she do to him? What did she do to force his brother to propose such a thing? And would Luciano really _murder_ him in cold blood?

"Very well, Luciano. Uphold your reputation. Slaughter your little brother and entertain me while doing so." Lady Souen commanded, leaning back in her throne-like chair. "And get me something to drink."

Luciano turned to his fair-haired sibling, who still trembled on his knees in front of Lady Souen's throne. "Have you any last words, brother?" Luciano asked coldly.

It took Vincent a moment, but he found his voice. "They'll stop you," Vincent declared, looking past his brother's lean form to the blonde who lounged in her throne, sipping from a glass of dark red liquid that definitely wasn't wine. "I didn't see it before, but I see it now. No matter how hard you try, Souen Ruka, Lord Kuran and Kiryuu Zero will stop you. And you'll die, slowly and painfully. You are the pathetic one, not me."

If Ruka was angry, she hid it well. She remained expressionless except for the malicious tiny smirk that pulled at the corners of her lips.

It seemed that Luciano was the one who was angry. He stalked towards his brother, eyes red and glowing, fangs extended, power whipping around him, lifting his hair and clothing in an invisible storm. His handsome face was twisted into something devilish and sinister. How far Vincent's brother had fallen.

Vincent felt an odd kind of sadness. He'd not meant for this to happen, but he supposed that was the way fate worked. A simple drunken night out had turned into becoming a Level D and being forced to serve Souen Ruka in achieving her despicable goals.

He needed to say something. Luciano needed to know-

"You were my brother," Vincent said over the roaring of the wind. "_You were my brother and I loved you._"

Luciano didn't answer him. He simply came closer and closer until Vincent could feel the air cutting into his skin.

Vincent smiled against the pain, tears dripping from his eyes. He glanced up at Luciano one last time and clenched his fists tightly. Then Vincent's eyelids slid closed and the biting wind completely encompassed him and he began to _scream_.

Ruka grinned.

(((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))

If Kaname had been surprised by Aido's announcement, I suppose he hid it really, _really_ well. The only change in him that I noticed was an odd tension in his voice, which I quickly remedied with a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Kaname and I were in a jet and on our way to British Columbia the next day, for which I was grateful. After all, the faster we were on our way, the faster Ichiru would be out of danger.

By the time we landed, it was late in the afternoon and I was practically dead on my feet. (I couldn't help but chuckle a little when I thought that, which of course caused Kaname to glance at me in concern and tug me against him a little tighter. C'mon! 'dead on my feet'? I'm a vampire, people.)

The pureblood was half-carrying me through the airport. I grimaced when he led me to an expensive-looking black limousine. I climbed in with some effort and immediately sought out Kaname's shoulder.

"Has there been anything else from Aido?" I asked against the fabric of his shirt. "Any more word on Ichiru?"

"He's still in critical condition. I was told that his heart stopped once while they were transferring him to the train. Fortunately," Kaname said hurriedly, noticing my mounting horror, "they managed to get it started again. They've given him a transfusion of vampire blood and he's healing slowly, but not quickly enough for the doctor's expectations. Zero, they don't expect him to survive past sunset."

Sunset? I glanced out of the darkened window of the limo. The sun was already sinking low on the horizon. I didn't realize I was trembling until Kaname's hands clasped my own and forced them to stop shaking.

"Zero," Kaname breathed, "I can save him. If you will allow me, I can turn him into a vampire."

"That's…I…" I suppose I couldn't form the words. Ichiru? A vampire? He'd never get sick again…I mused numbly.

"Zero, I won't do anything until you give me permission to. I'm only offering this as a last resort in case just an infusion won't save him. _Please_," Kaname leaned closer to me so he could kiss my forehead gently, "just consider it. This entire thing is my fault, and I don't want you or Ichiru to suffer because of it."

His fault? "How?" I choked out.

Kaname grimaced. "Souen Ruka and I attended the same academy when we were still in school. She is a noble that became too infatuated with me, and dreamt of being my bride, though I was supposed to marry my sister and keep the Kuran line pure. Souen Ruka was the cause of Yuuki's…incapacitation." His brown eyes were haunted. Anger caught me then. Fucking...goddamn _whore_...

"So that bitch," I exhaled heavily, "did all of this just because she has a…_crush on you_?" Kaname's head bobbed once, and his hair fell across his eyes, hiding them from my view. "She almost_ killed my brother _because she _fell in love with you_?"

Kaname winced as I gripped his hands back harshly. He nodded nonetheless and my mouth twisted into a snarl.

"I'll kill her!" I growled. "I'll destroy her for doing this to us!" I sat rigidly in my seat, bristling with anger. I ground my teeth together, and barely flinched when my fangs punctured my lower lip.

_- disgusting horrible angry brother hurt dying dead - _

_-she hurt Ichiru she hurt blood she must burn she hurt Kaname she hurt mate she must die- _

_-I'll kill her. Ruka. Souen Ruka. I'll strip her flesh from her bones and make her suffer as I suffered as he suffered as we suffered- _

All of my thoughts only pointed in one direction.

Souen Ruka must _fucking die_ for the sake of my sanity.

((((((((((((((((())))))))))))))))))

Kaname shivered as he felt absolute rage seeping through Zero's pores. The boy exuded malice and loathing. For a moment, Kaname honestly feared for his life. Kaname was also justifiably considering forcing Zero to sleep, like he had to prevent Zero from doing something regrettable before.

Instead, Kaname decided that the only thing he could do was try to calm Zero down without knocking him out, and the way to do that was to get Zero near to his twin. That part was a bit tricky, though, as Ichiru had had enough trouble with being transferred from a jet to a train and Kaname didn't know how he would handle being transferred from a train to an ambulance. An armored convoy would escort the ambulance to one of the northernmost parts of Canada – the location of the only mansion belonging to the Kuran family that happened to be completely underground. It was the most secure of all the Kuran mansions, and the most well equipped to deal with Ichiru's condition.

The moment the car pulled up, Kaname led Zero to the secret entrance to the underground palace. He nodded at the drivers of the car before he and Zero went inside, and the drivers immediately peeled out as fast as they could. They understood what Kaname was trying to say. 'This place has to be kept protected. Set up your best snipers and guards, and only let in who or what I say.'

The warmth was a nice relief from the chill of the outdoors, Kaname mused. It definitely wasn't as cold as it had been in Russia, but it was fairly close.

"Zero," Kaname said softly, tensing when bright red irises and huge pupils turned to fix upon him, "Ichiru will be here soon." He made slow movements towards his mate and helped him remove his coat and other outerwear until he was standing in the middle of the entryway in his socks, trousers, and a button-up black shirt. "Think you can keep ahold of yourself until then? I will restrain you if I have to, but I don't think you want that any more than I do."

Zero's fingers were twitching at his sides, bright blue and purple veins sticking out. His eyes were watering from the intensity of the setting sun bouncing off the snow. Kaname noticed the obvious symptoms of thirst.

What Kaname was about to do would go against everything he'd ever supported in the way of pacifism, but…Zero needed to _feed_.

"Someone bring me a human." Kaname barked at one of the servants who were stationed against the wall, awaiting orders. The servant raced off determinedly.

Zero perked up as he heard the roar of the engine of an ambulance and the crunch of heavy wheels on gravel. Kaname instructed Zero to stay underground while he directed the men in the ambulance with Ichiru where to go and what do to.

(((((((((((((()))))))))))))

Ichiru was drowning. At least, that's what it felt like. It felt like he had jumped right into a pool filled with syrup, and had no way to get out. To Ichiru, the syrup looked an awful lot like blood, though. But it was freezing, and despite the odd consistency, it moved like water. There was something just…cold about it that Ichiru didn't like, so he kept trying to climb up the walls of the pool, only to have some…thing wrap around his ankle and drag him back down. He was getting tired. He'd never been a strong swimmer because of all the time he'd spent in bed, ill. He was getting so very tired of trying to escape the pool, and the not-water was choppy and rough with waves, as if it were storming.

Ichiru had temporarily stopped trying once. The thing had gripped him and yanked him downwards right when he'd ceased his struggle. He'd seen what was at the bottom of the gigantic basin, and it terrified him. It was just…blackness. It was the darkness in a young child's room in the middle of the night after a nightmare. It was oppressive darkness, the kind that you stare into when you can't sleep. It was the kind of darkness that you imagine the worst things in – vile creatures reaching out their bloody claws to rip out your soul. It was the kind of darkness that you hide under your covers from.

The darkness at the bottom of the pool was the darkness that Ichiru would run out of his room from, and would go right across the hall because Zero would protect him from the monsters. Zero always protected him from the monsters, even when they grew up. He protected Ichiru from the imaginary ones, and then from the real ones.

Zero was the reason Ichiru had kept fighting the blackness. He was the reason Ichiru struggled for purchase on the smooth marble walls of the pool. He was the reason why Ichiru was trying to be strong. After all, Zero had protected him all those times. What kind of brother would Ichiru be if he let all of Zero's hard work go to waste?

So Ichiru battled the choppy waters of the pool and tried to climb up the walls over and over and over again.

Unfortunately, it was a battle Ichiru was quickly losing. It was too hard. His fingers slipped once again from the slick marble wall, and he fell back into the water with a loud splash. This time, he didn't immediately try again. This time, he lay on his back and stared at the odd, swirly white sky. He was so tired, and all of his muscles ached. The back of his head throbbed. Ichiru took a deep breath and was about to right himself in the water when an odd sound reached his ears.

It sounded oddly far away and as if it were being said through a bad speaker on a subway, but Ichiru could still make out what the words were.

_"Zero, you need to make a decision now. Ichiru has maybe minutes left."_ That sounded a lot like Kuran Kaname, the one that Zero was in love with.

_"I know. Do it," _Zero? Was that Zero? Just hearing his voice made Ichiru feel so relieved. He relaxed a bit until he felt the sticky tendrils of the Darkness wrapping around his limbs.

"NO!" Ichiru shrieked. The water was swirling around him, now. The Darkness was dragging him downward. "Zero! Help me!" Ichiru sobbed. He took one last breath before he was completely underwater. He struggled wildly in the grasp of the Darkness his air was starting to run out.

_"We're losing him!" _

_"Get me a full dose of adrenaline-"_

_"Sir, you have to do it now!" _

_"Zero, stand back!" _

_"Forgive me, Ichiru." _

The water was warm, now. It was warm and comforting and, most importantly, clear. The blood color had dissipated, and in its place was clean, clear water.

But it seemed that this water was vicious, too. It invaded Ichiru's nose and mouth, forcing its way down his throat. It stabbed at his veins harshly and shoved its way into his bloodstream.

Ichiru had the horrible sensation of slowly dying.

Then he was falling. The pool around him was gone, and he was falling towards a painfully bright light.

He gasped, sitting up. He could only see white. White sheets, white bed, white walls, _white white white white white_ –

_-red. _

Ichiru blinked. Red? Oh. An IV bag. His eyes followed the tube connected to it all the way to the back of his hand. A transfusion? He grimaced. What had happened this time?

"Ichiru?" The voice was very soft and very hesitant, as if Ichiru would break from anything just a decibel louder -

Zero? Ichiru turned his head slightly to the left, ignoring the pain in his skull. Familiar silver hair and pale skin met his eyes. "Zero!" Ichiru tried to cry out, but his voice was so hoarse that it came out as a weak whisper.

His older brother walked closer until he was near enough that Ichiru could hear his heart beating. It was a lot slower than Ichiru remembered, though. He wanted so badly to reach out and hold Zero's hand. He wanted Zero to climb into his bed with him and hold him and tell him that he didn't need to fear the monsters anymore, but Zero maintained a distance between the two of them and Ichiru didn't have the strength to reach out his hand.

"Ichiru," Zero began, taking a deep breath and letting it out again, "there's something you need to know. I…I feel absolutely awful about not letting you make this decision yourself, but…"

Ichiru was confused. What could Zero possibly mean?

"You were dying." Zero said. "You were dying and there was almost nothing we could do to stop it. And I…" Zero laughed humorlessly, "I was selfish and decided I couldn't live without you…so I had Kaname turn you into a vampire. If you hate me…I don't blame you. Hating me is fine. But I'd rather have you alive and hating me than loving me and dead."

It was then that Ichiru noticed the mess that was his brother. His silver hair was matted and tangle and dirty, his clothing was wrinkled with the telltale signs of sleeping in them, and his irises were a bright and angry red-

Wait. Ichiru backtracked a little. What?

* * *

**A/N: Ahh….yes. I'm cutting it there. Please let me know if this chapter is complete crap – I'm not feeling too confident about it and I don't think it's as good as some of my other chapters. But hey, I needed to get another update out there for you guys before I'm all busy and such. The rodeo is coming to my town soon and I need to work there for some more community service hours, so I'll be unavailable starting Thursday and going until Monday. **

**Okay. Let me know what you think of the story so far, and I'll see you next time. **

**Stay fantastic, my lovelies! **

**~DH**


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